


The Road To You

by mikachuchu



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Aged up characters, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Fluff, Future AU, LadyNoir - Freeform, Ladynoir July 2020, MAJOR CHARACTER DEATH IN CHAPTER 26, Miraculous Ladybug - Freeform, adrienette - Freeform, miraculous - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-30
Updated: 2020-07-31
Packaged: 2021-03-05 21:41:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 31
Words: 38,846
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25612237
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mikachuchu/pseuds/mikachuchu
Summary: The road to each other was long and winding, the universe seemingly doing everything in it's power to keep them apart.  But that never stopped Ladybug and Chat Noir from falling for each other. Little did the universe know that Ladybug and Chat Noir were unstoppable.My submissions for Ladynoir July 2020 can also be read @mikachu-chu on tumblr!
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Comments: 27
Kudos: 66





	1. The Wall Between Us

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Takes place 5-6 years in the future, both Marinette and Adrien are about 19-20 years old.

There are no two people closer than Ladybug and Chat Noir. Heroes of Paris, partners of five years and best friends. And yet, they couldn’t be farther apart. Chat Noir could read his partner in his sleep; it came to him as easily as breathing did. 

His lady would scrunch her brows together ever so slightly when she was tense, and her eyes would dart around more when she was scared. She’d speak less during patrol when she had something on her mind but would talk more whenever she was hiding something from him. 

He knew her dream was to become a fashion designer. He knew her biggest fear was messing up, and letting others down. He knew that her favourite colour was pink, that she talks in her sleep whenever she dozed off during patrol and that she was a hamster person despite his best efforts to convince her that cats were better. 

And yet, he didn’t even know her name. 

Adrien was so sure that they would’ve known each other’s identities by now; they’ve been fighting villains side by side for five years after all. He trusted her with his life and she trusted him with hers. Ladybug made it clear that she wouldn’t reveal who she was – at least not willingly – until Hawkmoth was gone and dealt with. 

Chat tried countless times to try and convince her that a reveal would only make them stronger than they already were. He would look out for her in real life –

_“I can take care of myself, Chat,” she snapped, moving farther down the rooftop away from him._

_“I never said you couldn’t. I know perfectly well you can handle yourself-“_

_“Then why are we having this conversation?”_

_“Because I want to know!” He crossed the roof until he was in front of her. “We’ve been partners for years! We’ve been to hell and back together and I don’t even know who you are.”_

_“You know who I am, Chat Noir. You know better than anyone else who I am.”_

_“You know that’s not what I meant. Your name, Ladybug. I just want to know your name.” Adrien’s voice went soft, as he looked straight into her eyes. “You’re the guardian now, Milady. You have the_ right _to know who I am.”_

_In the blink of an eye, Ladybug’s gaze turned deadly. Chat Noir only saw it in her eyes when dealing with akumas or Hawkmoth, but tonight he would see it turned towards him. “Don’t you dare use the ‘Guardian’ card on me,” she hissed. “Master Fu made that rule-“_

_“Who says he was right?” he retorted back._

_“I don’t care if he was right or not. It’s for the safety of our loved ones. What if one of us is akumatised?” she tried to reason. “We wouldn’t have control over what we did. What if you went after my family? What if I went after yours?”_

_“I don’t have a family for you to endanger.”_

They’d have a fight every time he asked, ranging from short, heated conversations in the middle of patrol to explosive arguments that ended with neither of them able to look at the other. There would be times where he threatened giving up his miraculous and times where he thought that she didn’t care to know who he was in the first place. 

But no matter what, the sun still rose in the morning, the earth kept turning, and Ladybug and Chat Noir would always come back to each other. They were stronger than that. 

Ladybug and Chat Noir saved Paris on a nearly daily basis. The wall between them had nothing on them.

~~~~~

There were few things Ladybug hated more than hurting her Kitty. She knew she did and it hurt her just as much as it hurt him. It wasn’t a matter of not trusting him with her identity; she trusted him with her life and not just because she had to for the sake of the job. Ladybug genuinely trusted her partner more than anyone else. She’d love nothing more than to go up to him and say “I’m Marinette Dupain-Cheng,” but that would be selfish of her. Of course, she had her family and friends to think of; it was the same excuse she gave him every time he brought it up. 

Master Fu made it clear when it all started that they could never know who the other was under the mask. Not until Hawkmoth was defeated. Marinette wasn’t ready to become guardian when she did; just like the responsibility of being ladybug, being the guardian was thrust into her arms unwillingly. 

Her guide and mentor was gone. She’d be damned if she turned her back on what little he taught her; _no one_ can know who are. 

No matter how badly she wanted Chat Noir to know. No matter how badly _she_ wanted to know.

_“You didn’t really mean that did you?” she asked carefully as they looked over the Parisian skyline. It was the first time she said anything to him since their fight. “About your family? Or rather… lack thereof?”_

_Chat Noir didn’t answer right away, contemplating his words. “Well… I lost my mother a while ago. Biologically speaking, yes I have a father. But he’s… distant to say the least.”_

_Despite the recent distance between them, Ladybug scooted closer to him. “I’m sorry, Chat… You deserve more than that.” There wasn’t another person Marinette knew that could be as lighthearted and loving as her partner. For someone so willing to love others, it wasn’t fair he didn’t get the love he deserved at home. “But family doesn’t have to be blood, you know… I’m sure you have friends who love you like family.”_

_“I do.” Ladybug watched as a soft smile grew on his face, liking it much better than the frown he had on previously. “They’re great… Sometimes I feel like I don’t deserve them.”_

_“That’s not true.”_

_“I know. I know it’s just me getting into my own head. But father likes to keep me on a short leash.” Ladybug nearly growled at the mention of his father again. “He doesn’t give me a lot of time to see them outside of school. I want to be there for them as much as they are there for me.”_

_They sat in comfortable silence, watching as the sunset over their city. “You know, kitty… I’m here for you. I may not know who you are, but it doesn’t mean that you can’t talk to me.”_

_“Thanks, bugaboo. That means a lot to me… Really.”_

_“Anytime, Chaton.”_

Marinette was more than willing to lend an ear to Chat Noir, but she wanted to do more. She wanted to make sure he was getting enough to eat – he always looked too thin for her liking – and she wanted to be able to invite him over whenever he was feeling lonely. But for now, she’d have to settle with doing what she can behind her mask. 

She swore to herself that as soon as Hawkmoth was defeated, as soon as she found out who she fought next to every day, she’d go after his father next. 

~~~~~

As Ladybug sat atop the beams of the Eiffel tower, she watched as a streak of black bounded over the rooftops till her kitty stood in front of her. “Hey, Chaton.”

“Milady! Let’s have a race for patrol today.” Chat Noir was practically bouncing with excitement, already pointing across the horizon. “From here to Notre Dame. The loser gets thrown off the top of Montparnasse tower.”

Ladybug couldn’t hold back her grin, already winding up her arm to throw her yoyo. “I’m in. Who knows, maybe I’ll throw you farther this time.”

No, there wasn’t any pair closer than Ladybug and Chat Noir. Nor will there ever be. 


	2. Stargazing

Chat Noir always arrived to patrol first for two reasons. Marinette was perpetually late both in and out of her super suit while Adrien couldn’t wait to transform, heading for patrol ten minutes earlier than necessary. 

As Ladybug swung from building to building, she expected her partner to be waiting for her atop the Eiffel tower as always. The last thing she expected to see was Chat Noir sprawled on his back across someone’s roof on her way there. 

“Chat?” she asked, coming to a stop in front of him. “What are you doing here?”

He didn’t even bother to look up at her, his eyes focused on the sky above them. “You know how you miscalculate your swings sometimes and stumble a little? Well, I stumbled and now I’m here.”

“And you aren’t going to get up?” 

“And miss out on this view?” He patted the space beside him before resting his head on his arms. “Why don’t you try stargazing, Milady? It’s more fun than you think.” There the two were, stargazing as Chat Noir watched the stars above him and Ladybug had her eyes on one star in particular. 

Adrien Agreste’s newest fragrance ad took Paris by storm. He aged well from the teenager she met five years ago; his jawline was much more defined, all his time fencing did wonders on his muscles and, of course, the air of angelic beauty never left him. 

Essentially, he was the French equivalent of a Greek god.

Marinette might have moved on from obsessively watching the commercial for hours on end, but she wasn’t above staring at a billboard-sized Adrien Agreste. Over the years she’d force herself to move on from the debilitating crush she had on the model and even managed to get into a couple relationships. But there would always be a part of her that belonged to him. 

“Milady?” Ladybug nearly jumped out of her skin as Chat brought her back to reality. “Are you okay?” She hadn’t laid down like he expected her to, as she was much too preoccupied with ogling the nearby billboard. 

“Y-Yeah! Just thinking.” Ladybug hurriedly laid beside him to look at the stars, praying he didn’t notice her staring. She had to deflect the attention on her, asap. “I never took you as the stargazing type.” 

“I only care about being _your_ type bugaboo,” he winked and she rolled her eyes out of habit. “But since you were wondering, my mother’s the stargazing type.” Ladybug turned from the sky at that, finding a soft smile on her partner’s face. “We used to sit outside in the gardens on clear nights like tonight and tell me stories about the stars till I fell asleep.”

Ladybug found herself moving closer to him. “Tell me a story about the stars, kitty.” _I have to move in closer so I can listen to the story properly,_ she insisted to no one but herself.

“Once upon a time, there lived a handsome purr-ince.” She couldn’t resist the urge to gently slap his chest, a suitable punishment for an awful pun. “He wanted to marry the fairest lady in the kingdom.” 

“Of course he did.” 

“Well, if she was anything like you, Milady, there’s no reason why he wouldn’t want to marry her.” If it hadn’t been for the years of practice deflecting her partner’s attempts at romancing her, Ladybug might’ve slipped. 

“Don’t tell me you’re proposing, kitty. You know I can’t fall in love with you.” Not wanting to ruin the mood, she quickly added, “You haven’t even met my parents yet.” 

“Of course not. I _am_ a gentleman you know.” Ladybug was glad to hear the joking tone in his voice; she avoided hurting him this time. “So to prove his undying love to his lady, he climbed the tallest tower in the land and caught her a shooting star. In his excitement though, he dropped the star and shattered it completely.”

“Don’t tell me this story doesn’t have a happy ending.” 

“Shh, be patient bugaboo. I’m getting there,” he chuckled, waiting till he knew she was done talking before proceeding. “Determined to bring his lady a star, the prince didn’t move until he put the star together again. He proposed to her with the star he caught and they lived happily ever after.”

“Would you bring me a shooting star, kitty?” She didn’t expect those words to come out of her mouth, and she blamed it on the comfy atmosphere that threatened to put her to sleep. 

“Really? That’s all I have to do?” She turned to him, not following what he was trying to get at. “You know I would do anything for you, Milady. But if catching you a shooting star is all it takes for you to fall in love with me, I would’ve done it years ago.” Ladybug turned to her silly, hopeless romantic of a kitty. Catching a shooting star was impossible, but for her? Chat Noir found no task too daunting. 

She couldn’t help but smile as her fingers brushed aside some hair that covered his eyes. “That’s all you have to do, Kitty.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If the star story sounds familiar, I got it from season 5, episode 13 of criminal minds because I am in love with that show xD


	3. In Denial

“Be careful, Ladybug. You’re glaring.” No, she wasn’t. Ladybug would never glare at an akuma victim. All she was doing was keeping a close eye on her partner and the girl hanging off his arm; she had no clue where Rena Rouge got that idea from. 

“Don’t be ridiculous, I wasn’t glaring.” Rena Rouge didn’t look convinced, but thankfully she didn’t have much time to argue before her miraculous started beeping. “Oh, would you look at that! You gotta go. What a shame.” Ladybug turned back to her partner who was still talking to the victim. “I’ll be right back, I just have to get Rena out of here.” 

“No problem LB! I’ll see you later.”

As they raced across the rooftops, Alya couldn’t help but tease Ladybug a bit more. “You know, I wouldn’t have pegged you as the jealous type.” 

“I’m not.” What was there to be jealous of? Chat Noir was her best friend; she just didn’t want him to feel uncomfortable with that girl clinging to him. Yeah, that sounds about right. “I’m just looking out for him, that’s all. Chaton gets a bit flustered around the ladies.” 

“Uh-huh. Whatever helps you sleep at night, Ladybug.” The two dropped into an alley just as Alya transformed back. “Just be careful; jealousy is as powerful as any akuma.” 

“Thank you, Alya. I’ll keep that in mind.” As much as Ladybug wanted to hold onto her best friend’s advice, it all flew out the window the moment she came back to see Chat Noir and his new beautiful friend sitting together, his arm resting on the back of the bench they were on.

“Ladybug, you’re back. I was just about to bring Annalise back.” Annalise? When did they get on a first-name basis? “I’ll catch you later, okay?” 

“No, no don’t worry about it!” Before Ladybug could even process what she was doing, she was wrapping an arm around Annalise and successfully pulling her away from Chat. “I’ve got plenty of time left before I transform back.” With no more than a wave to her partner, Ladybug was swinging across Paris, leaving him to call after her. “So, where should I drop you off?” 

“The Trocadero. I was in the middle of a photoshoot when I got a bit upset and well… You know.” 

“You’re a model, then?” Annalise nodded and Ladybug sighed internally. She should’ve known from her perfect skin, perfectly toned body and beautiful – scratch that, gorgeous – face.

_Of course, you are._

~~~~~

“What was that, Marinette?” The moment she dropped her transformation, Tikki’s disapproving face was right in Marinette’s. “Don’t you think that was a bit inappropriate?” 

“I don’t think bringing a victim back is inappropriate, Tikki. In fact, it’s kind of part of the job description.” The kwami didn’t budge, the disappointment still clear on her face even as Marinette passed her a macaron. “You were being selfish. You didn’t like seeing Annalise with Chat Noir so you took her yourself all because you were feeling jealous.” 

“I am not jealous!” 

“Fine. Maybe not jealous,” Tikki relented. “But you _are_ in denial.” 

Was she? Ladybug was a professional through and through; she tried not to let her civilian life affect her job as one of Paris’s saviours. But maybe all of those thoughts she woke up with this morning snuck up on her. 

_God, my freckles make me look like a child. And my thighs… Have my thighs always looked like that? Oh my God, I definitely gained some weight. That’s not fair! I fight villains every day! How can I be gaining weight?!_

Okay, so maybe her hour-long self-conscious-pity-party had some side effects. 

“Milady? I know you’re back there. Are you okay?” And apparently, Chat Noir could tell. 

~~~~~

Chat Noir watched as his lady disappeared, not too sure what just happened. She was acting off, he knew that much. He just didn’t know why. He followed her a distance away till he saw her land behind a chimney to detransform. 

_I should leave. I know I should leave. That’s the responsible thing to do; she’s in her civilian form right now… But then again it’s my responsibility as her partner to make sure she’s okay._ “Milady? I know you’re back there. Are you okay?” 

“Wait! Don’t come close!” She warned from the other side of the chimney. “I’m not transformed.” 

“Of course, don’t worry.” Now that he was there, he didn’t know why she was so off today, let alone what he should do to help. “So… You want to talk about it?” 

She hesitated, choosing her words carefully. “Talk about what exactly?” 

“You’ve been acting strange all day, Milady. Do you want to talk about why?” Ladybug took her time before answering, and Chat started to wonder if she was planning on talking at all. In the end, it wasn’t her that spoke first. 

“Hello again, Chat Noir.” He turned away from the chimney to look at Ladybug’s kwami who was now floating in front of him. “It’s been a while, hasn’t it?”

“Tikki?!“ Ladybug yelped, realizing her kwami was gone. "What are you doing?”

“You’re in denial, Ladybug. We both know it.” Adrien blinked, the worry inside him growing stronger. If Tikki had to interfere, it must’ve been bad. When Ladybug didn’t argue back though, he knew something was definitely wrong. 

Adrien held his hands out for Tikki and she happily took a seat in his palms. “What’s wrong? Did something happen?”

“It’s nothing serious, really.” He didn’t believe that for a second; anything wrong with Ladybug was serious. “It’s about Annalise.” 

_Annalise?_ He couldn’t think of anything Annalise could do to upset Ladybug; she was one of the nicest models he knew. In fact, she was one of the few friends he made in the modelling world. When he heard that someone was giving her a hard time on set, enough to be akumatised, he had to make sure she was feeling better before sending her back. 

“Is this because I was getting too close to a civilian?” That must’ve been it. Annalise was friends with Adrien, not Chat Noir. He shouldn’t have been so friendly with her behind the mask. “I’m sorry, that was careless of me. It won’t happen again.” 

“That… wasn’t the problem, Chat.”

“Then what is it?”

“I’m just…” Ladybug struggled for a while, trying to find confidence in her words only to find none at the moment. “…Insecure.”

“What?” 

“I’m not repeating myself, Chat.” 

“No, that’s not what I meant… What made you feel that way?” After getting no response back, Adrien gave Tikki a nod before she flew back to her holder. “Transform back, Bugaboo. I want to see you.” He waited patiently till he knew she was transformed back before crossing to her side of the chimney and placed his hands on her shoulders. “What’s gotten into that head of yours, Bug?”

It was like the dam inside her broke and he didn’t dare stop her. Chat listened patiently as she unloaded everything she was self-conscious about in a flurry of words and sporadic hand gestures. It never occurred to him how different their views of her were; Adrien knew how beautiful his lady was, both inside and out, but it didn’t seem like she agreed. 

“And _God_ , I hate my freckles! Is it too much to ask for just a clear face?”

“Hey! I happen to love your freckles.”

“But you don’t count, Chaton. You say that about everything about me.” 

“It’s only the truth,” he countered. “But I don’t see what Annalise has anything to do with this.” 

“She’s a model, Chat. She’s gorgeous. She doesn’t have freckles and her body is amazing and seeing her spending so much time with you it…” 

“It didn’t make you jealous, did it, Bugaboo?” Adrien knew it was a long shot and he shouldn’t get his hopes up but he couldn’t help it. Maybe, just maybe, she didn’t want to see him with someone else. 

“No,” she promptly glared. “It just made me feel insecure all over again, seeing her beautiful model self.”

“You say all of this as if you aren’t beautiful yourself, Milady.”

“Because I’m not.” Chat Noir watched as she curled in on herself, and he wanted nothing more than to hug her insecurities away. “I’m just plain old me. There’s nothing special about me.” 

“That’s where you’re wrong.” He moved closer so he could wrap his arms around her, holding her till the tension in her shoulders disappeared. “Everything about you is special, Milady. You might just be the only person who can’t see how beautiful you are. And I don’t need to see you without the mask to know it. 

“Stop being so hard on yourself. You’re beautiful, Ladybug. You don’t have to be in denial about it.” 


	4. Disguises

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I have no idea how fancy events work so please bear with me as I make everything up xD

“Am I hearing you correctly, Milady?” Ladybug stood her ground as Chat flashed her that signature smirk of his. “It sounds like you’re asking me out on a _date._ ”

“The fact that you think this is a date just means you weren’t listening.” Even as she pushed his face away from her by his nose, he kept his smirk. “It’s serious work, Chat!”

“Okay, let me get this straight. You got us tickets to this super fancy masquerade-themed gala.” 

“Yes.”

“Where we have to dress up all nice.”

“In case you weren’t aware, nice means no leather.” 

“Right. And we’ll have something to eat, maybe dance a little. You sure know how to take a guy out on a date.”

“The whole reason we’re going to the gala is for the silent auction.” She reminded, tossing her yo-yo in the air for it to land on his head. “They’ll be showing off some old Chinese antiques, more specifically from _Tibet._ Tikki thinks there could be something miraculous related there.” 

“Say what you want, Milady,” Chat smirked, despite rubbing the top of his head. “It’s a date.” 

~~~~~

“Marinette, you’ll wear out your heels if you keep pacing like that,” Tikki warned, watching her holder pace in the alleyway near the venue. “It’s a sound plan.” 

“I know, but I’m in civilian form! We’ll both be in civilian form. Why aren’t you freaking out about this?”

“Because it’s a _masquerade._ You’re still wearing masks and you two are responsible. You’ll be fine, Marinette.” 

Just then, her partner dropped down in front of her, nearly giving her a heart attack in the process. Though, in all fairness, she nearly gave him a heart attack with what she was wearing. 

The deep red fabric of her dress hung off her shoulders and hugged her body nicely before flowing out from the black silk belt around her waist, the slit that ran from the middle of her thigh to the floor threatened to put Chat in cardiac arrest. 

He gulped nervously, overwhelmed by just how gorgeous his partner was, but not overwhelmed enough to miss the opportunity for a pun. “Might I say just how a-meow-zing you look this evening, bugaboo?”

“No, you may not. At least not when you sneak a pun in there,” she sighed, shaking her head. “And I thought I said no leather, Kitty.” 

“Ah, r-right,” he cleared his throat, hoping it wasn’t obvious that he was staring at her before dropping his transformation. 

Now, it was Marinette’s turn to stare. He wore a plain black suit that hugged his arms in all the right places, his deep forest green dress shirt and golden tie screaming ‘Chat Noir’. In the end, it was his eyes that took her breath away, even if they were behind a black mask. She was so used to seeing his glowing green eyes that seeing them out of costume caught her off guard. 

“You… You clean up nice, Kitty,” Ladybug admitted, reaching up to readjust his tie. Under his suit, she could feel that his heart was beating just as fast as hers. 

“Hey, it’s our first date. Of course, I had to dress up.” 

“Still not a date.” 

“Hm? Sorry, I didn’t hear that.” Calming his racing heart just enough, he held his elbow out to her. “Shall we, Milady?”

Marinette hesitated before securing her mask as if she was going into battle before slipping her hand through his arm. “We shall.” 

The two got into the venue no problem, handing off the tickets as they passed through the doors of _Le Grand Paris._ “How did you manage to get those tickets anyway?” Chat asked as they slowly made their way to the hotel’s ballroom. “Those don’t come cheap, and even then, they don’t just sell them to anyone.” 

“I asked our favourite lady blogger. In costume, of course. She has connections, so I gave her the money to buy the tickets for me.” 

“I’m surprised she isn’t here herself, trying to catch a glimpse of you outside of the costume.” 

“Nah, I don’t think she would. She’s come a long way since she first started following us around.” It was true; after becoming a temporary hero herself, she better understood the boundaries of secret identities, but that didn’t mean she stopped throwing herself into danger for the sake of a story. 

“We’ve all come pretty far, don’t you think, Milady? Far enough for a dance with me?” Chat Noir pulled away from her, but not far; only far enough to take her hand in his and press a kiss to her knuckles. 

They were both shocked at the feeling of skin-on-skin; Chat Noir kissed her knuckles and held her hand every time they were together, but without the fabric of their costumes in their way, it felt so much more intimate. Wide blue eyes met his matching wide green ones as a shock shot up their arms. 

“We did get dressed up, after all. Might as well show off.” Chat grinned at her answer, taking her hand and guiding her to the middle of the dance floor. She placed a hand on his shoulder, taking his hand in hers as his arm wrapped around her waist. 

They fell into the dance easily; after years of being so in-sync with each other in battle, a waltz was nothing for Ladybug and Chat Noir. One dance quickly became two, then three when her head was on his chest and his rested atop her hair; when they were in each other’s arms like that, it was easy to forget everything else. Best friends got lost together like that, right?

They only pulled away when the band took a break, realizing just how close they were; their faces were two inches away, to be precise. 

“We should-“

“The antiques-“

“Y-Yeah.” 

_God, what am I doing?_ Marinette reprimanded herself as they walked to the back of the ballroom, her hands holding onto her clutch because clearly, they couldn’t be trusted to stay away from her Chaton. He fared no better, keeping his hands in his pockets and away from hers. 

Sure, over the years maybe she started to feel something for her tomcat, but she managed to push it away every time. There were 7 billion people in the world, and Chat Noir was the one person she couldn’t fall in love with. Ladybug couldn’t even afford to let herself wonder what loving him might feel like; how could she when Chat Blanc and the consequences of falling for him were burned into her memory like a brand?

“I’m sorry, did I make you uncomfortable?” While Ladybug was busy reminding herself to keep her feelings in check, Chat was worried he might’ve crossed a line.

“No, no! Don’t worry, you didn’t,” she reassured quickly. “I’m fine, Chat.” 

They quickly fell into silence after that, scanning through the antiques for anything that could possibly be related to the miraculous. While all she saw were old antiques from China, Tikki sensed otherwise. 

“Ladybug!” The kwami hissed from inside her holders clutch, and Marinette quickly looked around for any bystanders. Thankfully, no one was within hearing range as Tikki flew out of her purse and Chat Noir huddled in closer to hide her from view. 

“Tikki! You know you shouldn’t be out in the open like this!” Despite Marinette’s quiet warnings, Tikki flew towards an old, wooden walking stick that had intricate, winding carvings down its side and an orb of jade at the top. 

“I knew it!” At that, Plagg flew out of Adrien’s suit pocket to inspect the walking stick. 

“Plagg, not you too! Get back here!”

“It’s a guardian staff, Ladybug!” Tikki flew back to her holder, practically buzzing with excitement. 

“A guardian staff? Like the one Master Fu used to control Feast?” 

Plagg nodded, joining his kwami partner. “All guardians have one, but Master Fu’s was lost to Feast and the miraculous cure never recovered it.”

“You have to have it!” Tikki insisted. “It’ll help you attune to the other kwami’s better, maybe even Nooroo and Duusu!”

“It’s settled then. You need that staff, Bug.” Chat Noir walked over to the bidding sheet, placing his bid for the staff. “Consider it a gift to commemorate our first date.” 

“You know, no matter how much you say it, this still isn’t a date.” 

“You say to-mah-to, I say to-may-to,” he shrugged, dismissing her as he threw an arm around her shoulders. “Now, the bands starting up again and we have to take our spotlight back.” 

~~~~~

“My god, Chat how much did you bid?” After dancing and munching on hors-d’oeuvres for a few more hours until the winners were announced, Ladybug and Chat Noir ended up walking away with a giant briefcase containing the guardian’s staff. “The organizer said you won in a landslide!”

“Hey, I had to guarantee we got it, didn’t I?” He retorted, following her into the alleyway they started the night in. “Besides, what kind of a gentle-cat would I be if I didn’t spoil my purr-fect date?” 

“Chat, I swear to god-“ He didn’t listen as he transformed, quickly taking her hand to kiss her knuckles. 

“I had a good time tonight, Bugaboo. We should do it again sometime.” Throwing one more wink her way, Chat vaulted out of the alley before she could argue. 

Ladybug could only shake her head as she transformed, briefcase in hand. “You know what? We should.” 


	5. Banter

Okay. This was bad. _Very_ bad. And whose fault was it? Definitely not Adrien’s. No, this was all Lila Rossi and that was what he was going to Ladybug when she found him. 

If you were wondering, Chat Noir was currently being held hostage without his baton by his bodyguard-turned-giant-blue-gorizilla all because of one of Lila’s countless lies. The lie of the day? _“Oh, don’t worry about driving Adrien today! My chauffeur and I can absolutely take care of that!”_ The only issue with that being that Lila dragged him from his apartment and across Paris on what she thought was a ‘breakfast date’. 

So when he didn’t show up to his photoshoot that morning because Lila was force-feeding him crepes, his poor Gorilla got in trouble because no one knew where Adrien was. As much as he wished he had been able to say no to Lila, the girl had a death grip. 

Maybe it _was_ Adrien’s fault; he should’ve gotten her fired from his father’s company ages ago. 

“Listen, big guy,” Chat began, trying his best to reason with the big blue gorilla. “You didn’t get in trouble with me. I’d even go as far as to say that I like you! Friends, even! So from one super animal to the other, would you care to put me down?” He took the resounding roar as a definite no. 

“Well, well. What do we have here?” Chat had never been so relieved to hear his lady’s teasing voice. “Did the kitty get stuck? I didn’t take you for a damsel in distress.” 

“Just a little bit.” He shrugged as best as he could in Gorizilla’s grasp, watching as Ladybug swung away to avoid getting captured as well. “Besides, I knew you’d come to rescue me, Milady." 

“I’m always cleaning up after you, Chaton,” Ladybug tossed him his baton she picked up on the way over. “What am I going to do with you?”

Part of the tension in Chat’s shoulders dissipated once his baton was soundly back in his hands, using it to vault out of Gorizilla’s grasp while Ladybug distracted him. “I don’t know, go on a second date with me?” 

“Don’t get started with me. We didn’t even go on a first date!” Chat waited for her patiently on the other side of the street as she jumped on the villain’s head to join him. “It’s too crowded here with all the buildings to deal with him here. To the park?” 

“It’s like you read my mind, Bugaboo. Don’t you just love how in-sync we are?” Ladybug didn’t bother to reply, simply rolling her eyes and swinging away. “Alright big guy, you want this miraculous? I’m sure you do, huh? Come and get it~!” 

Soon enough, Chat reunited with his partner, giant blue gorilla trailing behind him. “Hope you didn’t miss me too much, Milady. I brought you a little present.” 

“Aww, you didn’t have to, kitty!” Ladybug threw her yo-yo around two lamp posts, acting as a tripwire to send Gorizilla toppling to the ground. With Chat already off to occupy him, Ladybug threw her yo-yo into the air. “Lucky Charm!”

Needless to say, Ladybug was not pleased to see a red and black banana peel land in her hand. “Look at that! Even your lucky charm has a better sense of humour than you!” Chat Noir teased, even as he dodged out of a car Gorizilla decided to throw. 

“That’s not true!”

“You see, I would agree with you, Bugaboo. But then we’d both be wrong.”

“Why you-“

“Look out!” Too occupied with reprimanding her partner, Ladybug completely missed the super-gorilla-sized fist coming her way. Lucky for her, Chat Noir was faster, tackling her to the ground as they rolled away. “Don’t tell me you’re getting slow in your old age, Milady! Or is it that my fur-midable good looks distracted you?” 

“Neither,” she huffed, taking his hand to help her up. “Why don’t you focus on the akuma instead of me?” 

“Now that’s just impossible. You’re irresistible, Milady. Besides, you’re overthinking this.” Plucking the banana peel from her hand, he tossed it right in Gorizilla’s path. Just like an old-timey cartoon, the supervillain slipped and flailed before falling to the ground. 

“Don’t worry. Not everyone has a su-purr-ior sense of humour like I do.” 

Ladybug didn’t bother to entertain her partner as she quickly lassoed the giant blue wrist. Calling on his cataclysm, Chat Noir leaped over to destroy the wristwatch he gave his bodyguard for Father’s Day, watching as the akuma fluttered out. 

“Time to de-evilise!” With the akuma purified and his bodyguard returned to his normal human-gorilla-like state, Chat Noir sauntered over to his partner with a winning grin. 

“Looks like my genius plan won us the fight, Milady. Think I can get a kiss for such a good job?” Tapping his cheek expectedly, Chat didn’t have to wait long before Ladybug pushed him away with a roll of her eyes. 

“In your dreams, kitty.” 

“Pretty much, yeah.” Still, he held his fist out to her, glad to see a grin to match his own on her face. 

“Pound it!”


	6. Rose

Adrien always knew the mission to get over Ladybug was an impossible one. Past relationships never lasted long and no matter how hard he tried, there was always a small part of him that belonged to his lady. Hell, the only reason why he tried so hard was because she asked him to. 

It’s the reason why he had been sitting at a table all alone in a fancy restaurant for the past half hour. The longer he sat there, the more awkward he felt and the more people started looking his way. It was only a matter of time before people started to realize who he was. As people started to stare, Adrien gave them small nods and a smile to match, but even he knew how pathetic he was starting to look. 

Adrien Agreste had been stood up. 

_That’s it. Ten more minutes and I’m calling it._ At the time, going on a blind date with one of Annalise’s friends sounded like a good idea. She vouched that Adrien would like her and it was a lot better than going on a date with (read: being held hostage by) Lila again. Just as he reached ten minutes, his phone pinged with a message from Annalise. 

> **Annalise:** Are you still waiting?
> 
> **Adrien:** Yup. I think I’m just going to call it a night, but thanks for trying to set this up anyways. 
> 
> **Annalise:** Of course! I’m so sorry she didn’t come. I swear you would’ve liked her if she did. 
> 
> **Adrien:** It’s fine. Plenty of fish in the sea, right?

Except Adrien only wanted one fish in particular. 

Flagging down a waiter, Adrien flashed him a sorry smile. “I’m sorry for sitting here for so long… Do you think I could get the carbonara to go? And stick two forks in the bag, please.”

~~~~~

“Easy, Milady, it’s just me.” Chat Noir held Ladybug’s fist in one hand, take out in the other as he landed behind her on a roof. Admittedly, he should’ve seen that coming. He wasn’t supposed to be on patrol tonight so it wasn’t like she was expecting company; it was only fair she tried to knock him out upon arrival.

“Oh. Sorry Chat, but I thought you weren’t coming tonight.” Ladybug dropped her arm sheepishly before sitting back on the edge. “I am glad to see you, though.” 

“You’re just saying that because I brought you food.” 

“You know me all too well, Kitty,” Ladybug grinned, taking the takeout box from him as he sat down next to her. “God, this smells incredible. What’s the special occasion?” 

“I got stood up,” Chat sighed, taking one of the forks to take a bite. “I waited at the restaurant for forty minutes, just sitting there. I’m sure you can imagine how pathetic I looked.” 

Ladybug was so shocked that she didn’t start devouring the pasta right away. “Oh. I didn’t know you had a date tonight.” 

“Technically speaking, I didn’t. Since you know, she didn’t even show up.“

“Well, she doesn’t know what she’s missing out on.” Ladybug bumped her shoulder with his before they both ate in silence in a while. She didn’t know what else she could do; how was she supposed to help him get over her without hurting him? _She_ was the one doing this to him. “If it helps, you aren’t the only one with terrible dating experience.” 

“Oh, I _know_.” 

“Hey!” Marinette of all people knew just how terrible her past dates were, but he didn’t need to make it sound like _that._ “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Well remember that one night Mr. Ramier was akumatised? You actually looked _relieved_ to see him.” Chat Noir couldn’t help but chuckle. “The fight didn’t even last five minutes and yet you stuck around with me for the rest of the night. You’d rather spend time with this Tomcat than your date. What was the excuse you pulled again?” 

“Oh, I remember,” Ladybug laughed, the horrible date coming back to her. “I called him the day after and said I was so traumatized by the akuma that I went straight home. And for the record, I’m always happy to spend time with you, Chaton.”

“Poor guy didn’t stand a chance with me around, did he?” She knew he was just joking around, but he wasn’t wrong. The guy Alya had set her up with was a downright _bore_ ; of course, she’d rather spend her night with Chat after that disaster. 

“You’ve had some bad dates too, you know. What about that one girl that nearly suffocated you?” 

Chat cringed. “Please don’t bring up that again.” Lila Rossi had a death grip and Adrien had the nail marks on his arm as proof, but Ladybug didn’t know that he’d been forced to go on dates with her in the first place. Nor did she ever have to know. “Just thinking about it gives me nightmares.”

His partner sighed, leaning back on her elbows as her legs dangled off the edge of the roof. “We’re a mess, aren’t we, Chaton? It feels like every single date we go on is a bust. And all the good ones that want to stick around get tired because we disappear so often.” _Not to mention my lost-cause of a crush on Adrien._ “I know it’s our job… But I want to be selfish sometimes, you know?” 

“I get it.“ He’d lost his fair share of girlfriends because of his sudden disappearances and terrible excuses. "But you know, we could just date each other. You gotta admit, it’d solve a lot of our problems.” 

“Chat…”

“I know, I know. We can’t.” Ladybug really didn’t like the defeated look on her partner’s face; she liked it even less knowing she played a part in causing it. “You know… I was actually kind of looking forward to tonight,” he admitted. “I got us reservations at a nice restaurant and we were going to get ice cream at Andre’s for dessert. Maybe we’d walk along the Seine too… I had it all planned out.” 

They fell into silence when Ladybug couldn’t figure out how to respond. Her Kitty was possibly the most romantic soul in all of Paris, the city of love itself; and yet, he’d been stood up without a chance to even try to impress his date. He deserved every bit of love out there, every bit that she couldn’t give him. 

“Wait here.” 

Chat didn’t have to wait long before hearing her land behind him. "Welcome back Milad-” He didn’t know what he was looking at. In one hand was ice cream from Andre’s, (mint-chocolate chip and strawberry to be exact,) and a rose identical to all the ones he gave her. “W-What’s all this?”

“Surprise.” Unable to speak, he took the rose and stared at her with complete awe. He couldn’t help but fall for her just a little bit more when she smiled at him. “You’re always sweeping those around you off their feet… I figured it’s about time someone swept you off yours, Kitty.”


	7. Interviews

Marinette didn’t choose the miraculous life; the miraculous life chose her. 

In the past five years of being Ladybug, she was happy to say she was completely used to the superhero life. Well, as used to it as she could be; she’d never gotten used to the celebrity status that came with the job. Of course, it was only natural when she saved the city multiple times a week that she’d catch some attention, but Marinette never really took the publicity with stride. 

Chat Noir though, was a natural at it. He knew all the right etiquette when dealing with the press with a kind of grace that Marinette could never understand. But nonetheless, she’d always stop to talk with journalists after an akuma attack.

“Ladybug! Ladybug!” She landed in front of the small group of reporters, knowing most of them by name, especially a certain Ladyblogger. After all, there weren’t many reporters willing to hang around an akuma danger zone. One in particular though was a new face. “Ladybug, meet Francis Bouchard,” one of the reporters introduced. “He’s a junior reporter on his first field story.” 

“Nice to meet you, Mr. Bouchard.” He couldn’t have been more then a couple years older than her, and she could only understand how nerve-wracking this all was, so she figured she’d throw him a bone. Ladybug gave him her best smile. “Have any questions for me, Francis?” 

The boy grinned, his voice recorded at the ready. “First of all, great work defeating the akuma, Ladybug! It’s too bad you had to do most of the work.”

Early in the fight, Chat Noir shielded her from hot wax that would’ve turned her into a statue. Instead, it was her partner that turned into a wax statue. But that wasn’t his fault; who knew wax museum workers could get so angry? If it weren’t for Chat, all of Paris would’ve been covered in wax. 

Ladybug was more than happy to explain just that to Francis until he just had to go and open his mouth again. “We didn’t see your sidekick at all during the battle.” The other reporters around him were shocked into silence; no one could believe that came out of his mouth, and neither could Ladybug. 

“What… What did you just say?” 

“Your sidekick,” Francis clarified, completely oblivious to the tension around him. So oblivious in fact, that he kept on talking. “I mean, it’s pretty obvious, isn’t it? You do the majority of the work with your lucky charm, purifying the akuma and miraculous cure.”

“Well, I wouldn’t say that,” Ladybug cut in as calmly as possible; Chat Noir’s publicity lessons paid off. “Chat Noir’s cataclysm is important too. His powers have gotten us out of trouble more times than I can count, and I usually need him to use cataclysm for my plans.” 

“Maybe so, but it’s still you that has to fix everything in the end, is it not? Even if you look past his destructive powers, he’s always throwing himself into harm’s way. Don’t you think he’d be more helpful if he thought out his actions more?”

“Now wait just a second,” Alya cut in with a frown. “I don’t think-“

Ladybug held up a hand to stop her, her anger practically radiating off of her. If Francis thought he could just stand there and slander her partner, he was about to be sorely mistaken. “Chat Noir is incredibly fast on his feet; he sees threats long before I can. It’s because of him and his reflexes that I’m alive.”

“Don’t you think that’s a bit of a stretch?” Francis countered. 

“No, it’s not. It’s the truth. If Chat Noir didn’t push me out of danger or throw himself in front of me, I wouldn’t even be around to fix anything. In fact, he was inactive for most of the battle because he took a hit for _me._ ” Ladybug inched closer to the reporter, barely able to hold herself back from throwing him across Paris herself. “If there’s anyone to be thankful for, it’s him. Not me, _him_. Because there is no Ladybug without Chat Noir; he is my _partner,_ nothing less. If you think for one second that-“

Before she could properly lay her hands on him, the leather-clad superhero himself dropped down between the two, putting some much-needed space between them. “Okay, okay, un-fur-tunately that’s all the time we have for today, folks! We’ll catch you next time!” Giving the reporters a wink, Chat Noir grabbed his partner by the waist and vaulted them out of there. 

“Put. Me. Down.” Now that the reporter was gone, Ladybug’s glare was turned to Chat as they landed down on a roof. They barely touched down before Ladybug pushed away from him. 

“Me- _owch_ , Milady. I’m not the one you’re mad at, remember?” 

“I know, I know! I just- He- The _nerve_ of that reporter… Gah!” Marinette couldn’t remember being so mad before; how could anyone think so little of Chat Noir? Her selfless, brave, incredibly foolish Chat Noir? She couldn’t even find the words she needed to rant, all of it coming out in jumbled snippets and random hand gestures. 

He patiently waited, watching as she paced back and forth on the roof as she lost steam before carefully approaching her again. “Are you calm enough to tell me what happened down there? I was gone for three minutes to drop off the akuma victim and the next thing I know, you’re about to throttle a reporter.”

“He would’ve deserved it.” 

“ _Milady._ ” With all her steam gone, his hands on her shoulders and the way he was looking at her expectantly, Marinette felt like a child. 

“He called you my sidekick. Called you impulsive and useless and-“ Just repeating it got her anger boiling up again, working her up for a fight. Her fists were clenched and her eyes were fixed into a glare at where they came from, only to dissipate when he squeezed her shoulders. “It’s basically slander, Chat! How are you not getting upset over this?”

In truth, Adrien knew better than to pay the press any attention; years of being a famous model trained him for that. But Ladybug didn’t know that. “Well, I don’t really care about what the press says.”

“But he’s w _rong!_ I meant what I said; there is no me without you.” Ladybug deflated, avoiding her partner’s gaze to look down at her hands. “There were times where I nearly gave up my miraculous and turned away from all of this, but I didn’t because you held me together. You’ve saved my life more times than I can count and I wouldn’t be alive if it weren’t for you… To think that someone thinks so little of you…”

Whenever Ladybug took him by surprise, and he couldn’t find the right words, Chat Noir found that hugging her said everything he couldn’t. How loved he felt, how utterly and unconditionally cared for he felt, and more importantly how thankful he was to have her as his partner. Ladybug always shone bright, but he had never been left in her shadow. Instead, he was always by her side to nurture and add to her light. 

“Milady, as long as we both know the truth, does it really matter?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Little bit of a callback to Chameleon there at the end because I have no self-control


	8. Kwami Swap

“This is a bad idea.” Some people would call it separation anxiety, but really, Tikki was just trying to be reasonable. In her little paws were Marinette’s earrings where she could see her worried face in their reflection. 

“Relax, Sugarcube.” Plagg on the other hand was enjoying his mini-vacation, basking in the sun from where he lounged on Adrien’s beach bag nearby. “I happen to think this is a great idea. It was either this or risk losing their miraculouses in the water. They’ll be fine.” How he could dismiss being separated from his holder so easily, Tikki could never understand.

She watched over the rim of Marinette’s beach bag as Adrien, Alya, Nino and Marinette splashed in the waves. Summer vacation had just begun for the four of them, and she had to admit that they were well-deserving of a break. It was the happiest Marinette looked in weeks, and that alone eased some of Tikki’s worries. She eased into the bag, closing her eyes for a while; maybe she could relax today too. 

“Akuma! Run!”

The peace lasted all of two minutes before shouts of panic overtook it. The two kwamis watched helplessly as a tidal wave the size of a house approached the beach, panicked families hurrying away. In the water, some people tried to out-swim it, racing the wave to shore while others braced themselves for impact. 

Far away, Adrien jumped in front of Marinette just as the wave swallowed them up. 

“Marinette!”

“Adrien!” 

The kwamis shared terrified looks as the supervillain rose out of the water, where inky black tentacles replaced his legs. A part of Plagg grew cold, a sinking feeling growing inside him. _No. The kid’s okay. He has to be._ Hardened by the determination to find his holder, Plagg dove into the beach bag for his ring, popping a magical piece of cheese into his mouth before flying off. “Grab a macaroon and go find Marinette!”

Tikki did just that, eating a magic-aroon before taking the earrings and flying over the water. She hoped, _prayed,_ that Marinette was okay. If she wasn’t… Well, she didn’t want to think about it. 

“Marinette! Nino! Alya!” Below her, she spotted Plagg’s holder, desperately calling out for his friends. One moment they were all together, the next, they were separated by the tidal wave’s undercurrent. He wasn’t Marinette, but Tikki was glad to see him all the same.

“Adrien!”

Tikki watched as hope and relief flooded the boy’s features, thinking one of his friends found him. Instead, he was met with the small kwami. “T-Tikki? What are you doing here? Don’t tell me…” Adrien looked across the water, watching as people sputtered to the surface, some taking longer than others. “No… Don’t tell me Ladybug’s under there.”

She nodded halfheartedly. “She’ll be fine.” _She has to be._ “But right now, I need you, Adrien. Or should I say, Misterbug?” 

He stared at the earrings in his palm, faltering for a moment before putting them on. It had been so long since he was Misterbug, but who knew when Tikki would find Ladybug? Adrien didn’t have a choice. “Aqua-Tikki, spots on!” As soon as he felt the magic fade, he dove beneath the waves on the hunt for the akuma. 

“You’re not Ladybug.” Misterbug turned towards the sound, sheepish that the akuma managed to sneak up behind him. The villain had deep, navy blue hair that floated around his head like ink, and his black tentacles swirled around his body, ready to strike at him at a moment’s notice. 

“And you’re not Ursula,” Misterbug countered, crossing his arms. “But it looks like you’re stuck with me.”

“I’m Triton,” the villain corrected; apparently, he didn’t like being compared to a Disney villain. “Unless you want me to flood all of France, you’ll give me your miraculous! You people never appreciate lifeguards-“ 

Aaaand Adrien tuned out. It was a good trick he learned from Ladybug; let the villain monologue and try to find where the akuma was hiding. Triton didn’t seem to have anything on him except for the black lifeguard’s whistle around his neck. _Bingo._

Misterbug tuned out for too long, and Triton quickly took advantage of the hero while he was lost in his thoughts trying to come up with a plan. In the blink of an eye, one of Triton’s tentacles lunged towards his head, leaving Adrien with barely any time to dodge out of the way. His hand flew up to his ear where moments ago, Triton’s tentacle had been barely an inch away. 

“Looks like taking your miraculous will be easier than I thought.” The battle weighed greatly in the villain’s favour with eight tentacles fighting against one Misterbug. Every time he attempted to get close and grab the whistle, tentacles would fly in his direction and he had to back away. _C’mon, Milady. Where are you?_

It was only a matter of time before Adrien got tired from constantly dodging out Triton’s grasp; he soon found himself wrapped up in a tentacle squeezing him tighter and tighter as he struggled to escape. 

“Back away from the bug.” Just the sound of his lady’s voice sent waves of relief down Adrien’s previously tense body; he couldn’t help but wonder if he had the same effect on her whenever he showed up late to battle. He watched as Ladynoire extended her baton straight into Triton’s face, causing him to recoil and loosen his grip on her partner. He took the opportunity to escape to his lady’s side. 

“Man, am I glad to see you, Milady.” 

“I’m so sorry I’m late! I was making sure the beach was evacuated.” Misterbug recognized the look in her eyes; the look she got whenever she felt like she messed up and was on the verge of spiralling. “You almost lost the miraculous because I was so late! I’m supposed to be looking out for you-”

“Don’t worry about that right now,” he reassured quickly, placing his hands on her shoulders to ground her. “I’m fine, you’re fine and the miraculous is fine. That’s all that matters. Now, we have some tentacle butt to kick. Can you do that for me?”

With a hard nod and resolve replacing the worry on her face, Ladynoire turned towards the akuma, baton at the ready. “We’ll have to keep the fight underwater; if he makes it to the surface, he’ll send out another tidal wave with his tentacles. I’m assuming the akuma’s in the whistle?” 

“You got it in one, Milady.” 

“Then let’s get to work.” 

The fight went considerably better now that Misterbug had Ladynoire, but it could have been better if they had their own miraculouses. With their roles swapped, their entire dynamic was off; Misterbug took more than his fair share of hits because Ladynoire was preoccupied trying to figure out how to get close to him. Really, it was less of a fight and more of a game of try-not-to-get-caught. 

“Cataclysm!” 

“No, wait!” Misterbug watched as his lady lunged for the whistle only to be flung back into her partner. He felt her hand against his chest and the pain that followed after; it hurt to breathe, and every little move he made sent shockwaves of pain through him. 

“Oh my god… Chat I- Look out!” He forced himself to look up as Ladynoire dove in front of him and right into the grasp of a tentacle. He couldn’t do anything but watch as it pulled her down into the ocean, his tentacle extending out of sight. 

“Ladybug, NO!” Despite the pain, his arm shot out to grab her only in vain as the ever-growing tentacle dragged her to the ocean floor. 

“Your miraculous, Misterbug.” Triton held out a tentacle expectantly. Adrien wanted nothing more than to wipe the victorious smirk off his face. “You and I both know she has five minutes, maybe less, before she turns back. And who knows how long she’ll be able to hold her breath after that? Give me the earrings and I’ll pull her back. It’s all I ask for.” 

Is this what it felt like? Chat never understood why Ladybug got so mad at him for jumping in front of her, for doing his job and protecting her. Now he did. What Ladynoire did was incredibly reckless and he wanted nothing more than for her to be there by his side so he could tell her off. Most of all he wanted her to be _there._

He couldn’t do this without her; he could barely fight on his own as Chat Noir, let alone as Misterbug. He needed her. What if he couldn’t get her back? What if he really lost her?

_No. I have to get her back. And I will._

After that, the fight was a blur. The searing pain became more of a dull nuisance as adrenaline pumped through him and blood pounded in his ears. He didn’t remember calling his Lucky Charm or baiting out the tentacles to tie them up with a red and black hose. He barely recalled breaking the whistle with his yoyo and purifying the akuma. 

What he did remember was the blue water around him, so alike to the blue of Ladybug’s eyes; a constant reminder of what he was fighting for. 

The moment the swarm of ladybugs surrounded him and eased the pain in his chest, he brought the lifeguard back up to the surface. Misterbug didn’t stick around long as he might’ve with other akuma victims; he had to make sure his lady was okay. He rushed down the beach, searching and searching for her and didn’t stop till he heard her voice. 

“Chat!” She was running towards him, mirroring the mix of relief and worry that he felt. She didn’t stop running until she was safely in his arms, clinging onto him for dear life.

“You’re okay… You’re okay.” He repeated those words over and over again to reassure himself more than her. Adrien buried his face into her fair, clutching onto her as if she’d disappear if he let go. “What were you thinking, Bug? Jumping in front of me like that? You almost _drowned_.”

“I had to. I wasn’t going to let you get hurt again.” She buried her head deeper into his chest, listening to his heartbeat as confirmation that he was okay. “I cataclysmed you… I couldn’t let you get captured too.” They were both quiet for a moment, just soaking up each other’s company. “I don’t know what I’d do if I lost you, Kitty.” It was barely audible, but he could hear the fear in her voice; he never heard it so strong before.

“And I don’t know what I’d do if I lost you, Milady. But I’m not going anywhere, you know that. After all, we’re a team, aren’t we?” She pulled away from his chest just far enough to give him that smile he loved so much. 

“Unstoppable.” 


	9. Fist Bump

One day. All Marinette wanted was _one day_ without akumas. Chat Noir warned her he’d be out of town for work and promised he’d be back the day after. With an akuma attack the day before, Marinette was really hoping Hawkmoth would take a break for once and maybe start up a new hobby other than terrorizing Paris. 

She got through her day pretty well; Tikki managed to get her up early enough to have a proper breakfast and she managed to finish her designs for her internship early. Everything was coming up Marinette. 

_Just twelve more hours and Chat will be back._

Her first mistake was letting her guard down; it was already eight o’clock in the evening and Hawkmoth didn’t tend to release akumas once the sun went down. So, she thought, _you know what, maybe I’ll order take out tonight,_ and ordered some pasta from the restaurant Chat went to and called it a night. 

Her second mistake was getting her hopes up; Marinette was doing a little dance while brushing her teeth, Tikki giggling as she watched. She did it; she was getting ready for bed and there wasn’t an akuma in sight. It was the best day she had in a while. 

Her last mistake was thinking she’d _finally_ have a good night’s sleep. She was already tucked under her covers and she was on the verge of falling asleep when she heard the akuma alert on her phone go off. 

“Marinette…” 

“Tikki, _please_ don’t tell me it’s an akuma.” 

“…It’s an akuma.” 

She threw her covers off her with a growl. _So close. So, so close._ “Tikki, spots on!” As she swung across the city, she noticed the billboards that previously showed Adrien’s face were now screens, showing off Alya’s akumatised sneer. _Of course. Betrayed by my own best friend._

Lady Wifi hadn’t been hard to find when she was screaming from the top of Montparnasse Tower. She turned when she heard the hero land on the roof behind her. “Ladybug. You’re just in time for the biggest scoop of the century!”

“Can it wait? I was _trying_ to get some sleep.”

“Oh, I don’t think you’ll want to wait for this one, Ladybug.” Marinette didn’t like the look on her best friend’s face, the one she knew all too well when she was about to start trouble. “I know who Adrien Agreste’s girlfriend is.” 

Well then. Nothing would pique her interest quite like that. It was no secret that Adrien had been trying to find someone to date; he’d even asked her if she knew anyone and she was too much of a coward at the time to offer herself up. A part of her wondered if maybe one of his dates were successful. _Does he really have a girlfriend now?_

It took her a moment to snap herself out of it because, _my god, Marinette get a grip you have a job to do!_ At least she didn’t have to worry about Adrien being safe; he was all the way in London for a photoshoot. The best-case scenario would be to shut down Lady Wifi’s broadcast before word got back to him. 

“Tempting,” Ladybug admitted, throwing her yo-yo till it wrapped around the building’s wifi antenna. “But I think I’m good.” She pulled hard till it snapped and Alya did _not_ appreciate that. 

The villain pounced on her, soon falling into a quick dance of hand-to-hand combat. Ladybug could hold her own in a fight just fine, but she admittedly took more hits than she would’ve if Chat Noir had been there with her. It was only when her lucky charm gave her a donut-shaped water floaty that the battle came to an end. 

Ladybug shoved the water floaty down around Lady Wifi’s shoulders, trapping her arms so she could grab her phone and purify the akuma. Once her ladybugs surrounded her best friend, she saw the ashamed look in Alya’s eyes. 

“Ladybug? Did I- Oh no… I was akumatised again?” She gave her friend a sorry smile before helping her up. 

Marinette should’ve been happy; she managed the fight on her own despite knowing just how sore she would be in the morning, and she stopped the broadcast before too many people saw. 

But her hand was awfully lonely with Chat Noir’s fist against hers. 

~~~~~

It didn’t take long before another akuma attacked Paris, but at least now, she had Chat Noir back. Fighting villains just wasn’t the same without him.

“Did you miss me, Milady?” She would never admit it out loud, but a part of her did actually miss the shit-eating grin he gave her every day. 

Still, she couldn’t let him know that, so she pushed his face away with a shake of her head. “Never in a million years, Kitty.” 

Chat clenched his chest in mock hurt, taking a few extremely dramatic steps back. “Don’t tell me you fur-got about me, Bugaboo! I never stopped thinking about you while I was gone and yet I never even crossed your mind!”

“Chat.” 

“Too much?”

“Just a little bit.” 

“Oh well,” he shrugged, stepping back towards her to kiss her knuckles; he tried not to dwell on how she didn’t pull her hand back. “I did miss you though, Milady.” 

“I missed you too, Chat,” she admitted finally before holding her fist out. Something in her clicked back into place the moment his knuckles knocked against hers and she couldn’t help her grin. “Welcome back, Kitty.”


	10. Breakdown

Something was wrong. Very wrong. It was one thing for Ladybug to be running late; Chat Noir would be more concerned if she was on time.But for her to miss out on patrol completely? That was just unheard of. 

After waiting for an hour, he made the executive decision to start patrolling without her and figured she’d find him when she did show up. But when he finished patrolling altogether around midnight without her, he was seriously worried. In all the years they’d been heroes, Ladybug never missed patrol before. 

There was no way he was going to be able to fall asleep without knowing she was okay, so instead of turning in for the night, he tried calling from his baton. The call rang a few times before going to voicemail. If she hadn’t been transformed, it wouldn’t have rung at all, and that was enough for him. 

He pulled up the tracking screen on his baton, the ladybug symbol showing up a few blocks away. _What are you doing, Bug?_ As Chat ran across the roofs, his eyes switched between the map on his baton and the horizon, hoping to spot his lady. Even as he reached her supposed location, Ladybug was nowhere to be seen. 

He gave his baton a few good hits, wondering if it was malfunctioning; she was supposed to be here, and yet Chat Noir was the only one up on the roofs. He let out a defeated sigh and sat at the roof’s edge, not too sure what to do now. It was only then that he heard the strangled sobs and muffled sniffles. He looked down for the first time in an alley between two buildings, spotting a crumpled ball of red and black spots. 

Jumping down between the two buildings, Chat landed in front of her on his knees and his heart shattered at the sight. Ladybug’s back was against the wall, her knees pulled up to her chest with her face hidden within them. When he reached out to cup her face, his hand was instantly wet with her tears, her eyes red and tired, her face puffy. Seeing her partner in front of her, another wave of sobs overtook her and Adrien rushed forward to hold her. 

“Bug, you’re shaking…” They sat there in silence save for her crying, him holding her as she fell apart and broke down. “What happened?” 

“I-I lost it, Chat…” When she finally spoke, her voice was hoarse; she must’ve been crying for _hours._ Adrien immediately feared the worst and held her tighter. 

“Lost what? The miracle box?” He didn’t think it was possible, but his partner wept harder and he rubbed her back and ran a calming hand through her hair. “Come on. Let’s get you out of here.” Holding her in a bridal carry, the two vaulted up to the roofs where they sat and held each other. 

“It’s n-not the box,” she reassured in between sobs. “My internship… They let me go…” 

As the tears started up again, Chat pulled her in and tucked her head under his chin. He knew how badly she wanted to be a fashion designer and how hard she worked to get there. He remembered how happy she was when she was accepted into the internship; even if she couldn’t tell him where she got in, she was so incredibly excited. Seeing her like this, now, barely held together, he could hardly take it. 

“Did they say why they let you go?” he asked carefully. “You worked so hard and you’re so talented… I can’t imagine why they would let you go.” 

“I was supposed to be helping backstage at a show, and I had to leave. Things went wrong and I wasn’t there… It was my fault.” Chat held back a wince as her grip on him tightened. “All because of an akuma.” The more she talked, she voice steadied from uneven sobs to growing bitterness. “I never wanted this. I never _asked_ to be Ladybug, to be the Guardian, to be a hero.

“I was happy with the life I had before. No one told me I’d have to give my life up for Paris, no one even asked what _I_ wanted.” Chat joined her as she stood, watching her pace on the roof with her fists clenched tight. “I don’t want to do this anymore.” 

“You don’t mean that.” 

“I do!” Adrien knew how powerful Ladybug’s resolve was; there was nothing she couldn’t do once she set her mind to it. And tonight? She was set on leaving this life behind. On leaving _him_ behind. “I’ve done everything I was supposed to. I save Paris every day. I guard the miracle box with my life. I let relationships slip, I let my friends and family think I’m flaky, fine. But now? I can’t give up on my career, Chat. You know how much this means to me.” 

Whenever Adrien thought about leaving the superhero life, he always imagined it’d be after Hawkmoth’s defeat and they’d live in peace. He never had any other reason to want to give it up; this was his escape from the life he lived as a civilian. It was supposed to be him and her, against the world. The idea of losing her right then and there terrified him. 

“There are other internships out there! You can still apply to those.”

“That’s not the _point_. No matter where I apply if Paris is in danger I _have_ to leave. I’ve given this city everything I have. Paris comes first; not me, not my family, not you. I’m sorry, but I really don’t have it in me to do this anymore.” Adrien stood frozen with horror as her hands went up to her ears. “I’m going to renounce-“

Chat Noir bounded towards her, holding her hands tight against her cheeks to stop her from taking off her earrings. “No.” 

“Chat, let me go!” 

“I’m not going to let you do something you’re going to regret.”

“I’m not going to regret it! I’m _done,_ ” despite herself, her voice hitched as angry tears flowed down her face while she struggled against her partner’s grasp. “I can’t do this anymore! If you want to keep doing this so badly, I won’t stop you! I renounce-“

She couldn’t finish, not when Chat was kissing her like he was about to lose everything. In his mind, he was. Ladybug could feel her resolve falter then fade altogether as her grip on her earrings loosened so she could hold his hands. 

And she kissed him back. 

Adrien was sure he must’ve been dreaming, and damn, what a good dream it was. When he finally pulled away, his forehead slumped against hers and they both struggled for air. “S-Sorry, I… You were about to renounce your miraculous I didn’t know how else to stop you…”

“It’s – It’s fine, Chat.” Marinette winced at how strangled her voice sounded. 

“Look… I know you’re upset about the internship; I do. But we’ll figure this out together, I promise.” 

“You can’t promise that.” 

“Maybe not. But I can promise that I’ll do everything I can to help you.” Adrien held her hands tight, urging her to stay. “I’m not going to let you do this alone. We’re a team no matter what, Milady. I can’t do this without you.” 

Ladybug stood there, debating what she should do next and it might’ve been the longest minute of Adrien’s life. “You won’t, Chaton. I’ll stay.” It was only then that Adrien released the breath he didn’t know he was holding. 

The two stayed out till dawn, Chat Noir refusing to leave until he knew she wouldn’t renounce her miraculous. 

Once she left, Adrien went straight for the Agreste mansion. He made a promise to his lady that he’d help her in any way he can. And if it meant making a deal with the devil to convince his father to open up intern applications…

…Then so be it.


	11. Comfort

Gabriel Agreste was a trendsetter, Adrien knew that. Once he convinced his father to open up intern applications, paranoia quickly overtook his competition. Because why else would Gabriel Agreste open applications in the middle of the season if he didn’t have something big coming up? 

Adrien’s plan worked; now half the fashion world was desperate for interns and his lady had more chances of getting picked up for an internship. 

But at what cost?

He was supposed to quit as a model that year when his contract with the Agreste brand expired. At the time, the contract was created merely as a formality; both Adrien and his father knew he’d be a model for the rest of his life regardless if Adrien enjoyed it or not. Now that Adrien wasn’t a minor anymore, he could decide for himself to renew his contract or not; he finally had the ticket to freedom he yearned for. 

But it was the only bargaining chip he had over his father. He knew his father wouldn’t do something so big as opening intern applications without something in return. So, Adrien renewed his contract, signing his life away to his father for another three years of photoshoots and fashion shows. 

If it meant giving Ladybug the second chance she deserved, then so be it. His freedom was a small price to pay for her happiness. 

~~~~~

“Chat?”

Adrien blinked, the Parisian skyline coming back into focus in front of him as he realized Ladybug was calling his name. “Sorry, must’ve spaced out there thinking about you.” The excuse was weak and didn’t even convince Adrien, let alone Ladybug. “What’s up, Milady?”

“You’ve been quiet all patrol. No puns and not nearly as many pick-up lines.” Though she was worried, he appreciated the teasing smirk she threw him for the sake of lightening the mood. “You’ve got me convinced that you’re dying or something.” 

“I’d never die on you, Milady.”

“I’ll hold you to it. But really, Chat.” He looked down to where she scooted closer to him on their favourite beam on the Eiffel tower. “What’s on your mind?” 

What _wasn’t_ on his mind might’ve been a better question. How could he tell her that he signed himself away for three years just so she could have a shot at another internship? She would kill him if she knew what he’d done for her. “It’s just work. Nothing big.” 

“Well if it managed to distract you from making puns, it must be pretty big. What could’ve…” Ladybug paused as a sad realization spread across her face. “Don’t tell me you got fired too.”

“Fired?” Chat struggled to hold back a scoff. He _wishes_ it were merely possible to get fired. “No, just the opposite actually… I got my contract renewed for a few more years.” 

“But isn’t that a good thing?” 

“I guess in some ways,” he admitted with a sigh. “The pay is good so I won’t have to worry about money… And I made some friends at work so it’s nice that I won’t have to say goodbye.” It also helped that his very good friend Marinette just got signed on as the Agreste brand’s newest intern; it helped to see a friendly face like hers every day. 

“Then… I’m really not seeing the problem here, Chat.” 

He hesitated, wringing out his hands for the sake of getting rid of anxious energy. He never admitted this before, at least not out loud. “I was thinking of leaving the company… but I didn’t have a choice in renewing my contract.” 

“There really wasn’t anything you could’ve done about it?" 

"There wasn’t." _Not with your career at stake._ They sat in silence for a while before he turned to his partner. “How did you know you wanted to do fashion? Did you get a sign or something?”

“No, no sign,” she laughed, leaning back on her elbows as she thought about it. “Well, my mom taught me how to sew when I was young, maybe eleven, so I would know how to fix my own clothes if I ripped them.”

“Sounds like you were a bit on the rambunctious side.” 

“Just a little,” she admitted. “I wanted to learn more and ended up watching a bunch of sewing videos online. Then I learned that I could make clothes myself and started designing. It makes me happy doing it, and there’s nothing like seeing my designs come to life, you know?” 

He did know, just by looking at the passionate look in her eyes; she really did love her work. Despite that, he felt small not knowing what that kind of passion felt like. _What if I never find what I’m passionate about?_

“Oh, Kitty. Don’t say that.” It was when Ladybug wrapped an arm around him and started drawing circles on his back that he realized he said that out loud. “You’ll find it one day”

“It doesn’t feel like it. And with my contract being renewed, I’m stuck with this job for another three years.” 

“That doesn’t mean you should give up. You… You deserve to be happy, Chaton.” 

Hearing that was the greatest comfort he could’ve had. “Thank you, Bug. It means a lot.”

“Of course. You’re always there for me, Chat. Just know that I’m here for you too. No matter what.” 

“I know. Enough about me though,” he insisted, not wanting to wallow anymore. “Tell me about you. How did applications go?” 

Ladybug’s grin went impossibly wide and Adrien had to admit; he’d renew his contract a thousand times more if it meant seeing it again. “I got in!”


	12. Falling

Chat Noir fell for Ladybug the same way a boulder would fall off a cliff; hard, and all at once.

The moment she stood atop the Eiffel tower and declared she would stop at nothing to protect Paris, his heart was hers and it always would be. In that moment, she was strong, powerful, inspiring, and everything good in the world. The more time he spent with her and the more he learned about more, the more he loved her.

Maybe it was naïve to fall in love with the first girl he met once he had some freedom, but how could he _not_ fall in love with her? She was crazy smart in ways no one else was; the way she used her lucky charms and came up with a plan in a matter of seconds never ceased to amaze him. 

Some people might turn away from akuma villains once they turned back, but never Ladybug. Even if she had spent hours trying to stop them from destroying Paris, she always made sure to comfort them afterwards. It really showed how big her heart was. She knew that underneath the transformation, every akuma villain was just a person; just like her, and just like him. Ladybug was probably the most compassionate person there was. 

Even then, Chat Noir knew she wasn’t perfect. For reasons he just could never understand, she could be self-conscious, insecure and unable to see what he saw. He saw the prettiest bluebell eye, clearer than the ocean itself, but he knew just how dangerous those eyes could be. Her eyes could write death sentences the moment she targeted her glare at someone. 

For everything good that Ladybug was, she never believed in herself enough; she doubted herself despite all the proof that she is so much more than she thinks. It doesn’t take long for anyone to realize how amazing she is; all you need is a working set of eyes. But ever since their first day working together, he made it his own personal mission to make her see herself through his eyes. 

It’s the smallest things about her that he loves. The way her eyes set in determination. The way she rolled her eyes whenever he made a pun. The way her lips quirked into a smirk when she was about to tease him… But his favourite, by far, was the way her cheeks tinted pink whenever something he said caught her off guard. 

Of course, his feelings weren’t always reciprocated. Adrien knew she loved him, just not in the way he wanted her to. So he tried to move on for two reasons; he figured he owed it to himself to try and he couldn’t stand the pained look on her face whenever she had to turn him down. 

Kagami was great; just mentioning her name gave him his father’s approval, and she was good to him. But in the end, his heart just wasn’t as invested as he wanted to be, and Kagami didn’t deserve that. After a few months, they ended things. 

Relationships after that were tricky. Girls didn’t like competing with his busy schedule and they liked it even less when he had to bail whenever there was an akuma attack. Adrien wouldn’t be surprised if he had a reputation for being a non-committal wimp. 

Even so, no matter how hard he tried, he loved Ladybug with everything in him, and just being able to love her was the best thing that ever happened to him. 

~~~~~

Ladybug was falling for Chat Noir the same way a feather would fall to the ground; slowly and quietly as if it was barely happening at all. 

She would never in a million years think of Chat in a romantic way. Or so she thought. Back when they first became partners and he’d be so ridiculously flirty, it was hard to take it seriously. At first, she thought he was just kidding around. It wasn’t until the night Glaciator attacked that she learned that her Chaton really did love her. But her heart didn’t belong to him. 

At the time, it belonged to Adrien and she couldn’t imagine it belonging to anyone else. Chat Noir was just her partner and they had a job to do; she wasn’t about to let feelings get in the way of saving Paris. They were strictly professionals and that was that. 

But as time went on and they spent more and more time together, Chat grew to be her best friend. There were countless times where he would know what Ladybug needed before she figured it out herself. Whether it be space, an ear to listen to her, or a mere hug, Chat would already be providing for her before she asked. 

Marinette would barely admit it to herself, but if Adrien weren’t around, she would be more than willing to give her Chaton a chance. In the back of her mind, if she didn’t love Adrien so much, she’d be happy falling in love with her partner. 

That is until that wasn’t an option anymore. Their love would destroy the universe. It still haunted her even five years after visiting the future. Nothing but blue and white contrasting the green and black in which she so often found comfort. A sneer she had never once seen turned towards her. Cold hands that used to run warm reaching for her earrings, and a partner she didn’t recognize. 

It was her love for Chat Noir and his love for her that ruined everything. His love for _Marinette._ A part of her always thought that he only loved the girl with the mask; the strong, fearless and perfect girl she had to be. But he loved the girl behind the mask too; that alone spoke volumes and she heard it loud and clear. 

However, duty always came first, and Ladybug came to terms with that fact a long time ago. Even if she wanted to, she could never fall in love with Chat Noir. Her silly, caring and impulsive Chat Noir. Her protective, patient and brave partner. Her loving, broken, and deserving Kitty could never be hers. 

She accepted that fact eventually; after all, she could still love Adrien. Nonetheless, it broke her heart to know that she could never reciprocate her partner’s feelings. So, she fought by his side, provided a shoulder to lay his head on, and always had his back. 

And without knowing, the feather floated to the ground. 

~~~~~

“Well? What do you say, Milady?”

“I say you’re being ridiculous.” 

He turned to her with that look in his eyes that forced her to fight against the warmth in her belly. “You really think there’s no way, no possibility, no universe where you fall in love with me?” 

For the sake of Paris, she said no despite knowing better. Lucky for her, her Kitty had never been the type to back down so easily.

“Well then, looks like I’ll just have to work a bit harder.” Ladybug was so incredibly relieved to see him smile; she would never be ready to see him give up on her. 

And just like that, Ladybug was falling. 


	13. Cuddles

“Remember when you said there was no such thing as stupid questions?”

“Oh, no.” Ladybug turned to her partner, bracing herself for whatever foolishness he had in mind. Instead of his signature mischievous grin she was expecting, Chat Noir actually looked embarrassed. “What is it, Chat?” 

“Well, I was wondering- For a friend! Not me, well okay, yes for me, but if it’s really dumb you don’t have to answer, you know?” Marinette didn’t think she’s seen her partner so anxious before. He was acting the same way she used to around Adrien, and it was starting to worry her. “Nevermind. This is stupid.”

“Chat, you haven’t even asked me the question yet. Just spit it out,” she reassured, even as he played with the end of his tail nervously. 

“How do you cuddle?” 

“What?” 

“I said-“

“No, I heard you.” Out of all of the things he could’ve asked her, Ladybug did not think he was going to ask her how to cuddle. She knew he was socially deprived growing up, but seriously, it was as if he never received any kind affection before. “You’ve had a girlfriend before though. Haven’t you cuddled with her?”

“Ah, she wasn’t exactly the cuddling type…” No, Kagami was by no means a cuddler; she didn’t see the point in doing it, so they never did. After that, the closest he got to cuddling with another girl was putting an arm around them. Just thinking about it made him acutely aware of how pathetic he was. “It’s just that… I have a date tomorrow. I’m taking her to see a movie in the park and my friend was saying it was a good opportunity to cuddle and well…”

“You don’t know how to cuddle.” 

“I don’t know how to cuddle,” he repeated dejectedly. “I figured I’d ask you because you seem like a cuddler.” 

“Well, you aren’t wrong, I’ll give you that.” Marinette was probably the biggest cuddler there ever was. She would spend sleepovers tucked into Alya’s side and would watch movies growing up always in her father’s arms. When she was still with Luka, he knew she wouldn’t let him go without spending at least an hour in his arms. “Wait here. If I’m going to show you how to cuddle, I’m going to do it right.” 

Chat Noir waited, wondering what she was talking about; it was just cuddling, right? How hard could it be? When she came back, her arms were overflowing with pillows and blankets. He watched with curiosity as she laid them all down on the roof, the chimney acting as a makeshift headboard. Adrien never thought a roof could look so comfy before. Once she was done, Ladybug stepped back to admire her handiwork with pride. 

“You know, Milady,” he started, pushing his luck as he turned his smirk towards her. “If you wanted me to get in bed with you-“

Ladybug didn’t let him finish, pushing him onto the covers before crossing his arms. “Just get under the blanket, Chat.” 

“Yes, ma'am.” Her blankets were just so comfy and so undoubtedly _her_ ; comforting, soft and warm. After getting comfortable under her sheets, she started crawling towards him to sit in between his legs and he started full-on panicking. He let her move; after all, she was the cuddling expert, but his heart threatened to beat right out of his chest. 

“Relax, Kitty. I’m not going to bite.” She settled in his lap, her back to his chest and his legs on either side of her.

Meanwhile, Adrien was keeping his arms away from her, not too sure what to do with them. “Uh… What-Where should I…?”

Ladybug turned to look back at him before taking his hands in hers to wrap his arms securely around her waist. “There. Better?” She held back a laugh at his strangled “Mhm,” of a reply before leaning against his chest. “This is a good one if you’re gonna be watching a movie. And then you can play with her fingers like this.” She intertwined their fingers, watching as she slid them against each other. “You still there, Chaton?”

“Y-Yeah! I’m here.” Not entirely, but physically speaking, yes Chat Noir was there. His mind, on the other hand, was long gone. It was hard to focus on what was happening with his lady so close, the sweet smell of her strawberry and vanilla shampoo intoxicating him. 

“Here, let’s try this.” As she pulled away and his arms started to yearn for her, Ladybug moved to sit next to him with her back against the chimney. She patted her lap invitingly. “Rest your head here.” 

Chat immediately – and all too eagerly – obliged; just a taste of affection and he was obsessed. Where had this been all his life? He laid down sideways with his head in her lap, turned towards the Parisian skyline. 

The moment Ladybug’s fingers threaded through his hair it was game over. All of his tension faded away immediately as he closed his eyes in pure bliss. Ladybug, with all her mercy, held back her temptation to tease him when his chest rumbled with purrs. Her Kitty didn’t get half the affection he deserved, and she was more than happy to provide. 

“All right Kitty, one more before you fall asleep on me.” Chat Noir sat up with a pout, already missing the feeling of her fingers in his hair. Following her instructions, the two moved until he was laying on his back, his head propped up against her pillows. Adrien being the quick learner he was, picked up on Ladybug’s cuddling lessons and opened his arms to his partner. 

She couldn’t help but smile at him before moving to lay next to him… Or rather on him. Ladybug’s head was tucked safely below his chin, her body draped across his chest and their legs on the verge of intertwining. Chat carefully wrapped an arm around her, the other running his hand up and down her arm to keep her warm as a breeze passed over them. Marinette couldn’t help but sigh and nuzzle into him. “You’re a natural at this, Kitty.” 

“I just have the best teacher, is all.” They didn’t move after that, the rest of the night spent in each other’s arms.

It was the best night’s sleep either of them had in a while. 

~~~~~

When Ladybug woke up the next morning with Chat’s arms secured around her and his heartbeat in his ear, she didn’t dare move and risk waking him up. She had the best view in Paris as the sun came over the city, but it was nothing compared to Chat Noir. In the morning light, he looked so angelic even if she knew he could be anything but. Instead of getting up, she nuzzled back into his chest, holding onto him for as long as possible. 


	14. Chat Blanc

“Little Kitty on a roof…”

_No._

“…All alone without his lady…”

_No, no, no, no, no._

Ice coursed through Ladybug as she processed the white and blue around her. _No, this can’t be happening right now._ She remembers being on Montparnasse tower, but the water, the destruction and the chilling silence were unfamiliar. Despite how hard she tried to forget; she remembers him. She remembers his song, the indifferent look in his eyes, his name.

“Chat…” Ladybug couldn’t breathe, each breath requiring more effort than the last as she waited for him to turn to her. He was sitting with his back turned to hers on the glass roof, just like the first time. She prayed to every kwami out there that he would turn to her with those green eyes that made her feel safe…

But then blue met blue.

“Marinette, you’re back!” His smile didn’t warm her up like it would have. Instead, it turned her cold with fear. It was menacing and dangerous instead of warm and welcoming; it wasn’t the smile she grew to love. “I thought I’d never see you again!”

“No… Chat you… You don’t – I never told you who I am!” For every step he took towards her, Ladybug forced herself to step back. “S-Stay away from me!”

She didn’t think it was possible, but Chat Blanc’s eyes grew colder as they narrowed at her. That alone made her knees buckled, forcing her to scramble away from him as he stood over her. “Why are you trying to leave, Marinette? Don’t you love me anymore?”

A subconscious part of her heart that she didn’t know she had wanted to scream; _I do!_ But it never got past her lips. Instead, she shook her head, willing herself to meet his eyes no matter how much they scared her. She paled seeing a small blue ball of destruction aimed right at her. “This isn’t _you,_ Chat Noir! You aren’t my Kitty.”

“Just give me your miraculous, and you can have him back.” Ladybug froze in fear for a moment, watching in slow motion as his cold hands reached for her cheeks before scrambling to her feet.

She struggled to remind herself that somewhere underneath the white and the hate was her partner. Some of her favourite moments were fighting by Chat Noir’s side, but she couldn’t bring herself to fight against him. Even if her head was screaming at her to fight back and to find the akuma, the only thing she could manage was to back away from him. “I won’t fight you, Chat.”

“Good. It only makes this easier for me.” As he lunged at her, Ladybug took another step back only to find open-air beneath her feet.

~~~~~

Adrien was no stranger to waking up in the middle of the night, but even he had to admit that waking up to screams of terror was new. He was up in an instant, rushing over to his window to see streams of nightmare-inducing sand come from the top of Montparnasse Tower.

It was clear that Sandboy had checked in for the night, but this was different. Instead of nightmares coming to life, Parisians were each living their worst nightmares in their heads. He watched as Parisians ran in the streets, running from fears he couldn’t see. “Get up, Plagg.” Adrien tossed a piece of camembert at his Kwami as he pulled his window open. “Claws out!”

When he got to the top of the tower, Rena Rouge and Ladybug were already there, fighting Sandboy. “Sleeping in, Chat?” Rena Rouge teased, jumping out of the way of another shot from the villain’s pillow.

“What can I say? I like a good cat nap,” he grinned before extending his baton and joining them. Usually, Chat would be on the offensive, always willing to jump in headfirst. But tonight, he was completely defensive; he was fully aware of what his worst nightmare was, and he did not want to see Ladybug die tonight.

So when he saw Sandboy aiming for him, he jumped out of the way without hesitation. “Ha! Are you sure you aren’t sleeping? You missed!”

“No, I don’t think I did.” Adrien felt his fear grow as he turned to see Ladybug’s lucky charm hit the ground and her eyes glaze over.

“Milady!” He ran to her side immediately, watching helplessly as her eyes widened in pure terror. “Rena-“

“Don’t worry, I got Sandboy! You take care of Ladybug!” The heroine nodded reassuringly, creating an illusion to keep them invisible.

“Chat…” Adrien turned back to her when she called for him.

“I’m here! I’m right here, Milady, it’s okay!” His reassurances fell on deaf ears as she shook her head, tears welling up in her eyes as she stepped away from him.

“No… Chat you… You don’t – I never told you who I am!” That made him pause and try to figure out just what she could possibly be seeing. _Is she that scared that I’ll find out her identity?_

He took another careful step towards her, holding his hands out to her to hold her. “I don’t know who you are! It’s okay, everything’s-“

“S-Stay away from me!”

Chat Noir stopped where he stood, hands up to show he meant no harm. “Okay. Look, I’m staying right here, alright?” Then her knees buckled and Chat’s instincts had him reaching out for her again to help her to her feet. “Are you okay?”

“This isn’t _you,_ Chat Noir! You aren’t my Kitty.” Adrien felt his heart break in two at that, wanting nothing more than to pull his lady back to him and out of her nightmare. 

“It’s _me,_ Milady. Your Kitty. I’m right here.” He watched as she rose to her feet shakily, hyper-aware of how close she was getting to the ledge. “Ladybug, you’re going to fall. Come here, please.”

“I won’t fight you, Chat.” It was like the world moved in slow motion; she took yet another step away from him, the fear in her face turning to shock as she stepped off the ledge. Without even thinking, he dove after her, catching her wrist in one hand and holding onto the edge with the other as they both dangled over the street.

“Milady, please!” He begged, holding onto her tight. Adrien may not have gotten hit, but he was living his worst nightmare. “Please, just hold on, okay? I’ll get us up!” He growled as his muscles strained to pull them onto the ledge, the sheer determination to save her gave him strength. Slowly yet surely, he pulled himself back onto the roof then Ladybug into his arms. 

He cupped her cheeks, only moving his hands to her shoulders when she winced at that. “What were you _thinking,_ Bug?”

“Please don’t hurt me…” It came out as a whisper, but Chat heard her all the same.

“I’d never hurt you, Milady.”

“Chat Noir! The akuma!” As Rena Rouge ripped Sandboy’s pillow, Ladybug’s eyes came back into focus and she slowly returned to reality.

“Chat… Noir…? I-Is it really you?“ 

"It’s me, Bug. It’s me,” he reassured. “You just stay here, okay? I’ll be right back. Promise.” Waiting till she nodded, he grabbed her yo-yo, purifying the akuma for her. Looking back at her, she still looked horrified, staring at the floor in front of her. 

Rena walked up to Chat, watching Ladybug worriedly. “Do you think she’ll be okay?" 

"She will be… She’s strong. It might take a while… But she’ll get through it." 

Rena looked worried regardless, eventually shaking her head and handing him a frisbee; the lucky charm Ladybug dropped earlier. 

"Take care of her, Chat.”

“Of course.” Closing his eyes, Rena Rouge placed her miraculous in his palm before heading into the tower. 

His partner was breaking, barely holding herself together as she stared blankly ahead of her. She was going to get through this, and Chat Noir wasn’t about to let her do it alone. 


	15. In Sync

After years of fighting side by side, Ladybug and Chat Noir could practically read each other’s minds; words weren’t necessary when gestures and looks were enough. It was like they had a secret language of their own. 

It came in handy when dealing with akumas. Sometimes they’d be in situations where speaking would compromise them, and a glance was enough to know what the other was thinking. In particularly exhausting battles, just a reassuring nod that said _‘We’ve got this'_ or _'I’m right with you'_ or _'It’s me and you'_ would be enough to get them through the fight. 

It was especially handy after tough akumas like Sandboy that left them vulnerable and traumatized, and talking was just too much. Ladybug didn’t talk much once Rena Rouge left, and Chat Noir had to be crouched down in front of her before she noticed he was there. 

_‘Sorry… I’m not really here right now.’_

_‘That’s okay.’_ Chat offered her a gentle smile before looking at the spot next to her. _‘May I?’_ When she nodded, he sat next to her on the ground and wrapped a protective arm around her back. 

They stayed like that until Ladybug broke the silence. “Thank you, Chat…” He could’ve missed it if they weren’t right next to each other, and it came out a bit warbled, but he was glad she could speak at the very least. 

“Anytime, Milady.” Reluctantly, he handed her the frisbee lucky charm and gave her a sorry smile. “Think you can call your miraculous ladybugs for me?” When she grimaced at the lucky charm and looked like she was about to retreat back into herself, he was quick to reassure her. “I know you don’t want to. But just say the two words for me, okay? Take as long as you need to, Bug.” 

It took Ladybug a while, but she mustered a “Miraculous Ladybug,” and threw the frisbee into the air half-heartedly. 

Chat tried not to think about how weak her voice sounded. 

~~~~~

Long ago, they reserved a room (with two beds of course) for the two of them at Le Grand Paris for nights just like this; nights where they were too vulnerable and too shaken up to be without the other. The mayor had let them have it for free and kept it stocked with camembert and macarons. Over time, they kept a set of their belongings there, for the sake of convenience. 

Everything about Ladybug screamed ’ _vulnerable’_ ; her arms were wrapped protectively around her waist and her shoulders were tensed even as he opened the door to their hotel room for her. He tilted his head to get a better look at her from where she was staring at the ground. _‘Better?’_

 _‘Not yet.’_ His partner shook her head before retreating onto the couch, leaving his heart to break for her. Whatever she saw had left her shaken up, and they were both in for a long night, but Adrien didn’t mind. He let his thoughts wander as he walked into the washroom and ran a bath for her, waiting for the water to turn warm as he worried about her.

When Chat walked back into the room, he noticed Ladybug hadn’t moved, still curled up on the couch with a distant look in her eyes. He went over to the dresser, pulling out the pyjamas they both kept there, along with the soft sleeping masks that were altered to have two holes for their eyes. He knelt in front of the couch and smiled up at her, holding up her pyjamas and mask. He nodded towards the washroom. _‘I got a bath running for you. You go ahead, okay? I’ll be right here waiting.’_

Her lips tugged into the smallest smile, but even that was enough relief for Chat. _‘That sounds nice.’_ Taking his outstretched hand, she let him walk her to the bathroom. _‘Thank you.’_

Now alone, Marinette called off her transformation and looked at herself in the mirror. No wonder Chat looked so worried; she looked awful. “Marinette?” She turned to her kwami and tried to offer a smile before breaking all over again, tears spilling down her cheeks. “Oh, Marinette.” Tikki flew up to her holder, offering as much comfort as she could by nuzzling against her cheek. “Come here.” 

It took a bit of coaxing, but she eventually made her way into the tub. Even as she soaked into the warm water, the dull cold in her core stayed. Distantly, she registered Tikki brushing her hair just like her mother would, and let herself spiral. 

She wasn’t scared anymore; no, Chat made sure of that. She was safe here with him and Tikki, she knew that. But Chat Blanc did a good job of shaking her up. She could still see his blue eyes whenever she closed hers, and that alone would make her feel cold all over again. 

What got her the most though, was the harsh reminder that she couldn’t fall in love with her partner. Not just for her or Paris’ sake, but his too. Marinette would never let him lose himself like that. _It’s not fair._ It was like someone had yanked her from her soft and gentle descent towards Chat Noir and left her without him. _That’s not true. He’s there in the other room, waiting for you._ That’s what she needed right now. Her Kitty. 

With Tikki’s help, Marinette got out of the tub and into her pyjamas. Making sure her mask was secured over her face, she carefully walked back into their room. Hearing the door open, Chat sat up in his bed and looked at her tentatively, now dressed in pyjamas and his mask. Seeing his green eyes alone was a huge relief. _‘Feeling better?’_

 _‘A little bit,’_ she nodded. She glanced over at her bed, then Chat’s; sleeping alone was the last thing she wanted. _‘Could I…?’_

 _‘Come here, Bug.’_ He pulled the blanket back and moved over to make space for her. The moment she laid down next to him and his arms came around her protectively, she started to relax. Slowly yet surely, Chat started to melt away the ice caused by his akumatised alter-ego. She looked up at him, memorizing his green eyes to engrave them in her memory. That’s all she did before her partner started wiggling his eyebrows, making silly faces till she couldn’t help but laugh. 

And it was like music to his ears. Ladybug shook her head, hitting him gently before easing back into his side. “Silly Kitty.” 

“Only for you.” 

There were a lot of things that Chat did only for her. He always took such good care of her whenever they were together, showed him parts of him he admittedly never showed to anyone else, and always – _always_ – put her first, especially when he was worried sick about her. Just like now. “So I guess you want to know what I saw.”

He nodded, rubbing soothing circles on her arm. “I do, but I’m not going to force you to tell me. I’m just worried about how badly shaken up you are.” 

“It’s… It’s fine. You should know.” Marinette took a deep breath, bracing herself to willingly dive back into her memories of Chat Blanc. She couldn’t tell him that Chat Blanc was their potential future, but she was willing to tell him enough to get it out of her system. Her partner didn’t mind when she held onto him tighter. “You… You were akumatised into Chat Blanc… Because of me.” _Because of our love for each other._

She felt Chat tense from where her head was resting on his chest and dared herself to look up at him. “What… What happened?” 

Marinette hesitated, knowing it could very well be just as upsetting for him as it was for her, and that just worried him more. “You… You destroyed Paris, but you wanted my miraculous to fix everything…” _To bring me back._ “And I couldn’t bring myself to fight you.”

“I wouldn’t be able to bring myself to fight you either, Milady,” he admitted before growing quiet. “I’m sorry you had to see that…”

“You say that as if it’s your fault.” 

“Because it is.” Chat tightened his grip on her, this time to reassure himself that she was there with him. “I was a coward during the fight today. I dodged out of the way instead of protecting you… I know what my worst nightmare is.” Chat pulled his partner closer to his chest. “I… I didn’t want to see you die, Bug.” 

She let that hang between them, both too scared to lose the other.

After years together as partners, life without the other was unthinkable. She pulled away, looking up at him with a serious look in her eyes. “Promise me,” Ladybug started, holding out her pinky to him. “We’re _never_ going to lose each other. No matter what, no matter how long it takes, we come back to each other and we find each other. Promise me.”

“I promise,” he nodded, linking his pinky with hers. “No matter what.”

It was an impossible promise to make, but they’d be damned if they didn’t keep it. 


	16. First Kiss

“Milady, what was your first kiss like?” 

“You know, I was really enjoying my night up until now.” Ladybug turned to glare at her partner who was laying just a few feet away from her on a roof, just out of hitting reach. “Why do you want to know, Chat?” 

“Well I never got to experience my first kiss, so I figured I’d ask someone who did.” Her partner had that infuriatingly innocent look on his face with a pout to top it off. 

She never wanted to wipe it off his face so badly. “Chat, I was saving you from Dark Cupid, not kissing you.” Ladybug never planned on telling Chat about the kiss, hoping he’d forget about it after Dark Cupid’s spell had worn off and she could move on. Then Nadja Chamack released the picture of the kiss and it was a controversial debate between the two ever since.

“You stole my first kiss from me, Milady!”

“Look, I don’t like that my first kiss was for work either, but you don’t see me complaining.” She sat up so he could get a good look at her glare. “Why are you starting trouble, Chat?” 

“Patrol was getting quiet,” he shrugged, sitting up to join her. Of course, leave it up to Chat Noir to start making trouble just because he was bored. “I didn’t know that I was your first kiss.” 

“Well technically, yes. You were the first guy I’ve ever kissed. But I wouldn’t consider it my _first kiss_.” No, her real first kiss belonged to Luka way back when. When her friends asked her who her first kiss was, she’d say she kissed Luka on their first-month anniversary. 

Even if she wanted to give Chat Noir credit for being her first kiss, what could she have said? _“Yes, Chat Noir was my first kiss.”_ And then how was she supposed to answer the questions that were sure to follow? So, officially, Luka was her first kiss. Unofficially? Well, the answer was a bit different.

“Me-owch, Milady. Are you saying I’m a bad kisser?” 

“I didn’t say that.” 

“So you’re saying I’m a good kisser?” 

Even as she glared daggers at him, Chat Noir’s smirk didn’t waver as he scooted closer. “I didn’t say that either. Look, first kisses are supposed to be romantic in nature, Chat. I kissed you for _work;_ because it would break Dark Cupid’s spell on you. There wasn’t anything romantic about it.”

“Not even a _tiny_ bit?” 

“Nope. Sorry, Chaton… But,” she sighed, noticing the hint of dejectedness on his face. “If there was some sort of situation where I _had_ to count you as my first kiss… I wouldn’t be mad about it.”

Chat lit up instantly at that, a hopeful smile on his face. “Really?” 

“Mhmm,” she nodded. “You’re my best friend and partner. There’s no one I trust more, even back then. Who better to give my first kiss to than you?” 

“You know what, I’ll take it,” he grinned. “But you know… You never answered my question.” 

That mischievous look was back in her partner’s eyes and she tensed on instinct, bracing herself for whatever he might’ve had planned. “What question?”

“Are you saying I’m a bad kisser?” 

_Why that little - Fine. If he wants to play that game, I’ll play._ Before he could process what she was doing, Ladybug grabbed her partner by the bell and planted her lips right on his, kissing the smug smirk off his face. Adrien’s eyes went wide before easing into the kiss, waiting for her to pull away. 

When she didn’t, however, he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer. After that, that first kiss became two, then three, then they lost count altogether. Ladybug’s lips were incredibly sweet, keeping him coming back kiss after kiss, and she didn’t mind in the slightest. His arms kept tightening around her till she found herself on his lap and her fingers left his bell to run through his hair. 

Adrien felt like he was floating on air, convinced he must be in heaven and if Marinette had let out a moan or two, well, she’d deny it till the day she died. It could’ve been hours for all they cared, but when they eventually pulled away, they slumped against each other as they caught their breaths. 

“You know, Kitty,” Ladybug breathed, giving him a sly smile of her own. “You aren’t half bad.”


	17. Future

Ladybug was rarely on time to patrol, let alone early; but tonight was a special occasion. Marinette had been looking forward to it all day and ended up leaving half an hour early just so she could beat Chat Noir to the roof to prepare. As soon as she got there, she started laying out a picnic blanket and all of their favourite snacks she grabbed from her parents’ bakery. 

“Wow, Milady. You sure know how to spoil a guy, don’t you?” She looked up from her preparations to see Chat Noir standing behind her with a bouquet of roses in one hand and a case of cola in another. 

“Only for special occasions. You know what they say about spoiling strays,” she teased, standing to flick his bell in greeting. “Looks like you came looking to spoil me too.”

“They don’t say anything about spoiling ladybugs,” he countered, handing her the bouquet. “Happy anniversary, Bugaboo.” Ah, yes. Six whole years of fighting side by side; who would’ve thought they’d be partners for so long?

“Happy anniversary, Kitty,” she smiled before gesturing to the cola. “What? No alcohol?”

“ _Milady,_ ” he gasped, placing a scandalized hand on his chest. “Are you suggesting we _drink?_ While we’re on _duty?_ ”

She rolled her eyes, abandoning him to sit on the blanket. “I was just joking, but it’s good to know you’ve grown into a responsible hero.”

“You say that as if I haven’t been all this time.” 

She gave him a doubtful look before shaking her head. “You know what, I’m not even going to answer that.” As he took a seat next to her, she handed him a pain-au-chocolat, knowing it was his favourite. “Can you believe we’ve been doing this for six years?” 

He paused to think, taking the opportunity to savour his pastry. “Not really. It feels like we just started fighting crime a few months ago, let alone six years. I don’t think either of us thought we’d be doing this for so long when we started.

“No,” she agreed, grabbing a cookie. “Maybe it’s because we were just kids and we were naïve, but I was so sure we’d catch Hawkmoth in no time. I didn’t think it would take six years or more.”

“A part of me wishes we’ve caught him already. We promised Paris we’d keep them safe and catch Hawkmoth and yet, six years later, they’re still living in fear. We’re no closer to catching him than we were before.” Chat sighed defeatedly, looking over their city. “They don’t deserve that. I just wish we could be doing more.”

“There’s only so much we can do, Chat. You taught me that.” He turned towards her, feeling her hand on his shoulder. “We’ll catch him. We’re unstoppable, remember? It’s only a matter of time. Besides,” she started, leaning back to admire the view. “As bad as it sounds, I don’t mind that we haven’t caught him yet. We’ve made a lot of memories together in the last six years. I wouldn’t take them back for anything.” 

“Neither would I, Milady.” He reached over to the case and grabbed a couple bottles of cola. “A toast,” Chat smiled, handing her a bottle and lifting his. “To the best partner I could’ve had and the best six years of my life. I wouldn’t trade either for the world. Cheers.”

“Cheers, indeed.” Their bottles clinked together, ringing out into the quiet streets below. “To another six years together, Kitty.” 

“Where _do_ you see yourself in another six years? I know I didn’t know what I was getting myself into back then. I still don’t know what I’m getting myself into now,” he admitted.

“Well, I want to catch Hawkmoth by then, for sure. But…” Marinette paused, looking over at her partner. He was such a constant aspect of her life for so long, that she couldn’t think of what life would be like when she didn’t need to be a superhero anymore. What was she going to do when she didn’t have a reason to see Chat Noir every day? “But I don’t know how I’m going to let go of all of this when the time comes.”

“I get it,” he reassured, seeing the troubled look in her eyes. “Being Chat Noir is the only freedom I get, you know that. And when this is all over and I’m stuck with my civilian life…” Adrien took a shaky breath, despite his best efforts to keep it even. “I don’t what I’ll do then. I don’t know what I’ll do without seeing _you_ every day, Milady.” 

“Neither do I,” she admitted. “I might not have asked to be Ladybug, but I’m so used to transforming every night to go on patrol with you.”

“You know, you could keep it as a hobby,” Chat offered, popping a macaron into his mouth. 

“Superhero-ing? As a hobby?”

“Yeah, why not? It’s not like we’ll have akumas to deal with every day anymore, but maybe we could still go patrolling every once in a while, you know? Stop real-life crimes instead of magic super villains,” he offered. “I know that’s what I’ll do when this is all over. I don’t have it in me to give up being Chat Noir.”

“You know, you can have good ideas when you want to, Kitty,” Ladybug teased, finishing off her cola. “Guess that means I’ll still be Ladybug after all this. We are partners after all. But I’d like to think when Hawkmoth’s gone and taken care of, I would tell you who I am. And we could be friends outside of the mask.”

“Really?”

“Of course. After that, there’s no one to use our identities against us.” Marinette smiled at that, liking the idea of being able to have access to Chat in civilian life. She’d be able to take better care of him because he was too neglected as it was now and invite him to hang out like normal people, not two superheroes on a roof. 

“Are you sure you want to be _just friends_ outside of the masks, Milady?” she snapped out of her daydream to turn to her partner, his signature smirk and wiggling brows waiting for her. 

“Oh, I’m sure.” 

“Who knows, maybe you’ll fall in love with my civilian self?” Ladybug didn’t think that was necessary, knowing full well that she could fall for Chat as he was now. “We’ve already spent the last six years together, why not the rest of our lives?” 

Before Ladybug could retort, a loud crash in the distance drew their attention. “Looks like Hawmoth didn’t forget our anniversary either.”

“Think he’s upset we didn’t invite him to celebrate?” 

“You know what, that’s probably it,” she laughed, already preparing to throw her yoyo. 

“Race you there!” Ladybug blinked, her partner already bounding towards the akuma ahead of her. 

“Hey!” she called, but nonetheless, she shook her head and laughed to herself before swinging off. _Some things just never change._


	18. Close Call

Six years ago, Ladybug was adamant that she would never, _ever_ , fall in love with Chat Noir. Why would she? After all, she was in love with Adrien. Fast forward six years to the current day and Ladybug wasn’t so opposed to the idea. Six years was a long time to grow close to someone and Chat Noir wasn’t exactly the easiest person to dislike.

However, there were countless reasons why she couldn’t fall for her partner; Chat Blanc, her sense of duty, and the complications of dating a superhero were among them. But her biggest motivation? Her partner’s ego. She knows that if she told Chat she loved him he would be incredibly happy first and foremost. But after that? He’d tease her endlessly about it. That alone was a great motivator. 

But Marinette wasn’t perfect. She made mistakes and she slipped up; she was only human after all. She’s proud to say there is only one close call where she almost told Chat she loved him. She doesn’t even remember it, but he most definitely did and wouldn’t let her live it down. 

He was on patrol alone, watching over the city from the Eiffel tower. It was a peaceful night up until he saw a red figure stumbling across the rooftops in the distance. Adrien knew in an instant that it was Ladybug, but he didn’t know why she was out; there wasn’t an akuma and she was adamant about having the night off to hang out with some friends. 

Curiosity getting the better of him, he bounded across the city till he caught up with his lady. Correction: his very drunk lady. “Milady? What are you doing up here?”

“Kitty~!” His partner stumbled over to him, looking incredibly happy and loopy. Chat had to catch her before she could fall and hurt herself. “I’m jusssst on m’way home~ Isss faster up heeeere.”

“Uh, huh. It might be faster but it’s definitely not safer,” he sighed, considering his options. There was no way he was just going to let her swing home; there was no way she’d make it home alive. He couldn’t take her to her apartment because he didn’t know where she lived, and there was no way he was bringing her to his place either. “C’mon, Bug. You’re coming with me.”

It was more of a hassle than it should have been, but Chat managed to get his partner on his back and held her tight. Within a few leaps, they were landing on the balcony of their hotel room and Adrien was acutely aware of how quiet Ladybug was. Gently setting her down, he turned to check her over only to find her relatively fine except for the green tinge on her face. Their eyes met and they shared the same thought; _she’s about to hurl._

Adrien flung the balcony door open and chased after her to the bathroom where she proceeded to lean over the toilet and regret the choices she made. He held her pigtails away with one hand and rubbed her back soothingly with the other. 

“Okay, that was my bad. Jumping across roofs was not the best idea,” he admitted. “That’s it, Bug. Let it out.” When she was done heaving, he helped her up, taking a warm, damp towel to wipe her face clean. “Better?” 

“Mhmm,” she hummed, still swaying on her feet. _This is going to be a long night._ “Thank you, Kitty~”

“Any time, Milady,” he chuckled, helping her back into the room and sitting her down on her bed. “Here.” Ladybug looked to the stack of pyjamas he held out to her as he slipped the extra mask onto her face. “Drop your transformation and get dressed, okay? Make sure you get Tikki to help you.” 

Grabbing his own pyjamas, Adrien went back into the washroom to clean up the mess. “Claws in.” 

Plagg wrinkled his nose in disgust as his holder flushed the toilet and washed his hands. “What _died_ in here??”

“I guess you can say Ladybug did,” Adrien sighed, changing into his pyjamas and securing his mask over his face. When he returned to the room, his partner was hanging upside down off her bed and he just hoped she wasn’t going to barf again. “What on earth are you doing?”

“You look funny like this, Kitty,” she giggled, letting him help her up. Adrien was just glad she managed to get dressed and she stopped slurring. 

“What happened, Tikki?” 

“It was a friend’s birthday. And well… Tequila shots.”

 _No wonder she’s so far gone._ “Ah. You had a crazy night, huh?”

Ladybug nodded eagerly, falling back onto the mattress. “Very crazy,” she giggled. “You should’ve been there, Chat! It was sooooo much fun.”

“Maybe next time,” he chuckled, handing her a water bottle from the mini-fridge. Ladybug, on the other hand, was not so fond of it. She frowned at it with distaste, scooting away from the bottle like a child. “Milady, you’re going to have a huge headache in the morning if you don’t drink this.”

She turned her glare from the bottle to him. “I don’t want it.”

“But-“ The next thing he knew, he was chasing his partner around the hotel room in the hopes of keeping her hydrated. This was _not_ how he pictured his Saturday night going. “Ladybug, it’s for your own good!” 

“No!” Famous last words. In her attempt to escape him, Ladybug ended up tripping over her own two feet, sending her to the floor. 

“You were saying?” he smirked, standing over her victoriously as she reluctantly took the bottle. “Oh, come on, it’s not even that bad. No need to be so pouty, Bug.” Not trusting her to finish it on her own, Adrien sat on the floor with her till she drank it all. “See? You’re still alive.” 

She crossed her arms and turned away from him with a “Hmph.” He couldn’t help but chuckle at her childishness; Ladybug never let herself loose like this whenever they were on patrol, and seeing her the opposite of professional and responsible was a real treat. 

“Aw, don’t tell me you’re mad at me, Bug.” Another “Hmph,” gave him his answer and Adrien just shook his head, turning to Tikki. “Is she always like this when she’s drunk?” 

The kwami nodded, looking at her holder with amusement in her eyes. Really, she was just glad she didn’t have to babysit Marinette with Chat Noir there. “Yup. Except _I_ can’t get her to drink water.” 

“Guess it’s a special gift.” He turned back to his partner before standing up and offering her a hand up. “C’mon. Let’s get you to bed.” She shook her head, turning away from him yet again. “… Want me to carry you there?” 

That got her. Marinette giggled, getting to her feet and launching herself at her partner with her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist. Adrien stumbled back a bit before catching his footing and holding onto her so she wouldn’t fall. “You’re a real cuddle bug, aren’t you?” he teased before laying her down and tucking her in. “Comfy?”

“Mhmm,” she grinned, making grabby hands for his so she could play with his fingers. “Thank you for taking care of me, Kitty.”

“Of course, Bug. Anytime,” he smiled, watching as she slowly grew drowsy. 

“You take such good care of me… You’re the best partner ever…”

“Yeah?”

“Mhmm… It’s why… I…”

As Marinette slowly drifted off, her voice grew quiet and Adrien had a hard time hearing her. “Why you… What, bug?”

“Why I… Love…” Luck was on her side that night; before she could drunkenly bare her heart to her partner, Ladybug was out like a light. 

When she woke up the next morning with a pounding headache that made her want to die, she took in the hotel room, her sleeping partner in his bed a couple feet away, and the bottle of water with a sticky note stuck to it on her bedside table. 

> _Morning, Bugaboo._
> 
> _I can’t wait to tell you all about the crazy night you had. Have you ever heard of the saying “A drunk mind speaks a sober heart?” If not, don’t worry. You’re about to get very familiar with it. Wake me up when you’re awake._
> 
> _PS: Love you too ;)_


	19. Rain

Sometimes, Marinette wondered how Chat Noir survived for so long while living on his own. More often than not, she’d show up to patrols with food to make sure he had something to eat. She knew he grew up with people taking care of him, but she didn’t think he would be so clueless when it came to taking care of himself. 

Clueless enough to not grab a raincoat before heading out to patrol. 

“Chat, just go home,” she insisted as rain slowly began to descend. Ladybug, being prepared, tightened her raincoat around her. “I can finish patrol on my own. You’re going to get sick.”

“It’s just spitting. It’ll probably let up soon,” he reassured, waving her off as he jumped to the next roof. “I’ll be fine, Milady.” She sighed, rolling her eyes before jumping after him. Her Chaton could really be too stubborn for his own good. 

The rain didn’t let up; instead, it started to come down harder to the point where Chat’s hair drooped down over his eyes. “Okay, this is ridiculous,” she sighed stopping down in a park to watch him struggle to keep his hair out of his face. 

“It’s fine! I’ve always liked the rain anyways,” he grinned, stepping away from her to run through the rain. Ladybug was starting to think her partner really lost his mind, watching him dance and jump from puddle to puddle. 

“I… see that.” Seeing her stay to the side under the cover of a tree, he grabbed her by the hand and pulled her under the rain, soaking her from head to toe. She gasped, staring at her partner, dumbfounded. “Chat!”

He simply smirked, backing away from her with a mischievous challenge in his eyes. “What are you going to do about it, Bugaboo?” 

Oh, he knew her all too well. Once the challenge was out in the open, there was no going back for Marinette. Her eyes narrowed at her target, rolling up the sleeves of her raincoat before sprinting towards Chat. His eyes went from mischievous to shocked to scared as she barreled right at him with no sign of slowing down. 

Before he had the chance to dodge out of the way, Ladybug’s arms wrapped around his middle and she tackled him into the park fountain. If the rain didn’t have them soaked already, they definitely were now.

Chat couldn’t find it within himself to be upset; instead, he was in awe that she joined in. However, she wasn’t done with him yet. She got up started splashing him angrily, muttering things like “stupid tomcat,” and “why do I bother putting up with you?” before her words lost their edge and she started laughing along with him. 

There they were, Ladybug and Chat Noir, saviours of Paris, playing in a water fountain in the pouring rain. Parisians spared them no second glance before continuing along their route. They’ve seen the two regularly throw each other off buildings; a splash fight in a fountain didn’t phase them at all. 

Their laughs died down along with the rain, leaving them to sit on the edge of the fountain and wring themselves out as much as they could. “You know, you can be a lot of fun when you want to be,” Chat chuckled, shaking his head to dry his hair. 

“Hey, watch it,” she warned teasingly as she squeezed the water out of her pigtails. “I can and will push you back into the fountain if I have to.” 

“Alright, alright, I’ll behave. But really, thanks for indulging me like that, Bug. I never had a rainy day like that before.” 

“What do you mean?” 

“Well, I haven’t played in the rain like that before,” he admitted, watching a couple of kids splash through the fresh puddles with a distant smile. “It wasn’t exactly proper so naturally, I didn’t do it growing up… So thanks for giving me this.”

Marinette blinked, following his gaze to watch the children. She had so many memories of playing outside just like them, jumping into puddles with her papa and coming home to her mother’s hot cocoa. There were so many memories that she took for granted because they seemed so normal, only to realize Chat Noir never experienced anything like that. She was just thankful he turned out to be the fun-loving and carefree partner he was today despite it his bleak childhood.

“There’s no need to thank me for anything, Kitty. You know I’m always happy to help you catch up,” she teased. “But is it worth catching a cold?”

“Bold of you to assume I’ll catch a cold, Milady.”

~~~~~

He had a cold. Marinette could tell as she swung up to the Eiffel tower for patrol a couple nights later. The way his shoulders slumped and his arms wrapped around himself to keep warm gave him away. “Good evening, Bugaboo,” Chat greeted in a failed attempt to hide his congestion. “Lovely evening we’re having, don’t you think?”

“You’re sick.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. They’re _allergies._ ”

“Allergies, huh?” she challenged, poking him to watch him sway on his feet. “Why don’t you save us both some time and just go home, Kitty? You need to rest.”

“Rest is for the weak.” 

“Do you always have to be so stubborn?” she sighed, shoving a plastic bag into his arms. “Go. Home. I made you some soup and there are some tea bags in there that I like to drink when I’m sick. If I see you back on patrol for the rest of the week, so help me god, Chat, I will kill you myself.” 

“Look at that, she does care about me,” he smirked, taking the bag nonetheless. “A new memory and a doting Ladybug. Maybe I should play in the rain more often.”

“Bold of you to assume I’ll let you play in the rain again, Chaton.”


	20. Déjà Vu

Slowly yet surely, Marinette Dupain-Cheng was falling in love with Adrien Agreste all over again. But of course, she didn’t know that. No, this time she fell in love with the Adrien Agreste that wore a black cat suit and ran across rooftops in his free time. All of a sudden, it was like she was back to being a lovesick fourteen-year-old and everyone could see it except her. 

Alya noticed it when she went to Marinette’s for girl’s night. As they hung out on her living room floor, she would absent-mindedly glance out the window in hopes of spotting Chat Noir on patrol. It was painfully similar to how she would try to catch a glimpse of Adrien in high school. 

“Looking for someone?” her best friend teased. “I know you see Adrien every day now that you’re interning for the Agreste brand, but I didn’t think you would go and start crushing on him again!”

Marinette’s head snapped from the rooftops to Alya. _Adrien? Since when were we talking about Adrien?_ “What are you talking about?”

“I’m talking about how you’re looking out your window as if a certain green-eyed, sunshine-haired boy is going to come strolling past. Your face says it all; you’re pining after him,” she sighed, stealing the bowl of popcorn from her lap. “Hate to break it to you girl, but the chances of that are slim; he isn’t exactly a night owl.”

In all fairness, she was hoping to see green eyes and golden hair, just not Adrien’s. All she was doing was making sure Chat was out for patrol, that’s all. Pining? No. Absolutely not. 

~~~~~

Her parents would notice it when she visited them dinner. Usually, she would watch them cook while recounting her week, but this time her mind was preoccupied with thoughts of her partner. 

_I wonder what he’s up to. He better have eaten or I swear to god. He’s been looking too thin lately… Lord knows he probably ate instant noodles again. Maybe I could bring him some leftovers after this. I’m sure he would-_

“Marinette.” It was only then that she turned to her parents’ expectant gazes and realized just how lost in her thoughts she was. “Are you okay, sweetie?” her mother asked. “You seem out of it.” 

“I’m fine, just thinking about the internship is all.” 

“Ah, how is the internship going?” her father piped up eagerly. “You’re working with Adrien Agreste again, aren’t you?” 

Marinette nodded, oblivious to her parents exchanging knowing glances. “I am. I get to work on his shoots often and it’s nice working with someone I know instead of a stranger. It’s great to have him around.” Her parents’ couldn’t help but share a giggle at that, but she didn’t think she said anything funny. “What? What’s so funny?” 

“Oh, it’s nothing, dear,” her mother reassured. “It’s just… Well, you have that look on your face again. The same one you had when you were crushing on Adrien.”

“Mom,” she groaned, burying her face in her hands. It wasn’t the first time someone mentioned her old feelings for Adrien; hell, Alya said nearly the exact same thing just earlier in the week. Marinette just did not understand. _I’m not interested in anyone, let alone Adrien. What on earth makes them think that I am?_ “He’s just a friend. I got over him a long time ago.” Her parents didn’t look convinced in the slightest. “I’m not in love with Adrien.”

“So does that mean you’re in love with someone else?”

She was fully aware that her papa was just joking around with her, but she could only do so much to fight the burning blush creeping onto her cheeks. “Papa,” she drawled feeling only slightly embarrassed as her father wrapped an arm around her in good fun. 

She. Was. Not. In. Love. Especially not with Chat Noir. 

~~~~~

Tikki noticed it every single day with her holder. Nothing made her happier than to see Marinette happy and in love again, even if she didn’t realize it herself. But some days made her want to pull on her antennae. 

“Tikki, what time is it?”

“It’s been two minutes since the last time you asked, Marinette.” The kwami flew over to her holder and nestled on her shoulder as she stared at her sketchbook. “You know, you could always just show up to patrol on time instead of asking if you’re late enough.”

“No! Then Chat will think something’s wrong if I’m on time. I’m _never_ on time.” _Wait. Since when did I care what Chat thinks?_ The answer was always. “Besides,” she began, clearing her throat awkwardly. “I have to finish these designs or else I’ll be behind. I’m just using patrol as an excuse to procrastinate.” _Yeah. That sounds about right._

“Marinette, there’s nothing wrong with going to patrol early so you can see Chat.”

“I don’t-“

“I’m not saying it to tease you.” Tikki flew in front of her holder, placing a gentle paw on her cheek. “He’s your friend, right? It’s not a bad thing to want to see a friend. And well, if you think you might see him as more than just a friend… There’s nothing wrong with that either.” 

Marinette eased at that, taking comfort in Tikki’s words as she nuzzled against her cheek. It was exactly what she needed to hear. “You know what, I can finish these designs later. Let’s go surprise Chat.”

~~~~~~

Marinette was the last to notice. 

“Milady!” Chat stood to greet his partner, rose already in hand. “You’re surprisingly early for once. Everything okay?”

“Everything’s fine Chat. I’m just not in the mood to finish my designs right now so I’m procrastinating,” she insisted, rolling her eyes as he presented the rose to her with a flourish. She took it nonetheless and kept it close to her chest. 

Chat Noir, on the other hand, wasn’t believing her. “Purr-haps you were just eager to see me.”

“Not a chance, Kitty.”

Marinette fought the instinct to push him away as he slung an arm around her shoulders, his face dangerously close to hers. “Just you wait, Milady. One of these days, you’ll fall for me. I know it.”

He didn’t have to wait long. 

Maybe it was the way his eyes lit up when she landed next to him, pleasantly surprised to have more time with her. Maybe it was the way he looked like he only had eyes for her as he presented his rose with all the grace of a prince. Maybe it was the way her heart started to race as his arm came around her shoulders to pull her closer. Whatever it was, there was no denying it anymore. 

_Oh god. I’m in love with Chat Noir._


	21. Reveal

Balancing superhero-ing and her internship with the Agreste brand was considerably easier than she thought it would be. Because she and Adrien were good friends™ she would often find herself assisting him personally on shoots and fashion shows; her fourteen-year-old self would pass out if she could see herself now. Thank god she’s gotten over her crush on Adrien since then. 

Of course, that sort of attention didn’t come without a target on her back from the other interns. But no one could deny Marinette was a hard worker and her designs showed just how talented she was; she was more than willing to prove how deserving she was to be working there. 

The best part, of course, was how easy it was to slip away when there was an akuma attack. Often times she would be with Adrien whenever a villain showed up. Him being the boss’s son would have to leave to a secured room as protocol until the akuma was dealt with, and he would insist she went to hide too. It was the only time she would be thankful for Gabriel Agreste’s excessive protectiveness. 

It was exactly how she managed to make it to the Eiffel tower in record time, where Chat Noir was already waiting for her. “Sleeping in, Milady?”

“I don’t get how you get to these akumas so fast. Don’t you have a job, Chat? Y’know, one that keeps you busy?” she huffed. 

“We all have our tricks.” 

Ladybug was proud to say that her cheeks didn’t betray her as he threw her a wink. _Keep it together, Marinette._ She looked towards the park, assessing the situation. “Looks like Monsieur Ramier’s back to pigeons again, huh?” Throughout the last few years, Monsieur Ramier bounced between various street animals. Ladybug just wished Hawkmoth would give the poor man a break.

“Looks like it. At least it’ll be a quick one. Shall we?” 

“We shall.”

The fight was over two minutes after they called on their powers, leaving a tired-looking Ramier behind. “Pound it, Bug,” Chat grinned, bumping his fist against hers. “I think we deserve a bit of a reward for how well we did.”

She may be in love, but that didn’t mean she was blind to her partner’s mischief. “What exactly did you have in mind?”

He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and gave her a Cheshire grin. “Have you ever played hooky growing up, Milady?”

“You. Want us. To play hooky?” Just when she thought he couldn’t surprise her anymore, he did just that. “I have my internship-“

“So you haven’t played hooky then,” he smirked and god it was infuriating just how good he looked like that. “I didn’t take you for a coward, Bug.”

He knew exactly what to say to rile her up and she couldn’t be bothered to be ashamed as she took the bait. “I’m no coward.”

“Then prove it. Go recharge and meet me back at the Eiffel tower.” He shot her a quick two-finger salute before readying his baton. “See you there, Milady.”

Once he was gone and she dropped her transformation, the realization hit her like a truck. “Oh my god. What did I just get myself into?” 

Tikki mirrored her disbelieving look. “What were you _thinking_ Marinette?” Her holder just groaned in response, rubbing her hands down her face. _Believe me, if I knew I would tell you._ “You’re not actually planning on going, are you?” Marinette’s silence gave her answer. “ _Really?_ ”

“It’s just one time, I promise! And I won’t even be gone for long.” Yes, it was immature and a bit selfish, but the opportunity to hang out with her partner in broad daylight was too tempting. “Tikki spots on!”

~~~~~

Chat couldn’t help but grin as he watched a blur of red speed across the roofs to meet him; he had to admit, a part of him didn’t think she would show up. She was always the more responsible one of the two. “Glad to see you made it, Bug! I wasn’t sure if you would.”

“What? After you called me out for being a coward? You know I couldn’t back out after that.” Oh, he knew that very well. In fact, he was counting on it. “So, what did you have in mind, Kitty?”

In all honesty, he didn’t think that far; he wasn’t even sure she was going to show up. With little experience when it came to hanging out, Adrien had no idea what they were supposed to do. “Well I don’t know about you, but I haven’t had breakfast. How do crepes sound to you?”

“Sounds amazing. And I know just the place.” Chat jumped after her as she swung through the streets till they stopped by a crepe stand and he let her order for the both of them. “Here. Strawberries and cream.” His nutritionist would kill him if she saw him right now, but Adrien really didn’t have it in him to care. 

He took a bite and it instantly melted in his mouth in a mix of sweetness and tartness. Ladybug just smiled at the bliss on his face as she enjoyed her own crepe. “Good, huh? I found this place a few weeks ago and I must stop by here at least three times a week.” He couldn’t answer as he ate, but he nodded to indicate he was listening. The stand wasn’t far from work; maybe he could come to sneak a crepe every once in a while. 

“You know what, Kitty, you’ve been looking too thin lately.” 

“Hey,” he frowned, swallowing his food. “Are you saying I need to work out more?” 

“No, I’m saying you need to eat more.” He didn’t see mischief in his partner’s eyes very often; he was mischievous enough for both of them. When he did, however, he couldn’t help but find her just a bit more attractive. “In fact, I think that’s just what we’ll do today. Hope you’re feeling hungry, Chat.” 

They spent the next hour hopping from stall to stall, trying out various street food. “Mandatory fattening-up,” as Ladybug put it. It was probably the most he ate all week and he knew he’d have to pay the consequences later to burn it all off, but it was completely worth it. 

“Alright, I think that’s enough for today,” Ladybug laughed as he went cross-eyed when she wiped some ketchup off his nose from a hot dog. “I should be heading back. I don’t want to risk my internship again.”

“Of course, Milady.” Chat stood from the bench they were on to kneel in front of her and take her hand. If he looked close enough, he could see the smallest of blushes on her cheeks as he kissed her knuckles. “Till next time.”

He didn’t have to wait long to see his lady again. 

When he touched down in an alleyway next to the Agreste building, he immediately called off his transformation. Midway through, he heard something land behind him and he turned in a panic only to hear a distinct “Spots off.” His mind screamed _Turn away!_ But he was frozen in shock. 

There she was. 

His lady. 

When the pink light washed away, in her place was none other than Marinette Dupain-Cheng. 

He stumbled back in shock, accidentally stumbling over a tossed away pop can and her eyes met his. It was like his world was turned upside down as his mind struggled to catch up with what he saw. She mirrored his shock, his fear, his realization. 

“Adrien?”

“Marinette?”

They really messed up this time.


	22. Realization

The rest of the workday was absolute torture for Adrien. How on earth was he expected to go about his day now that he knew that _Marinette is Ladybug?_

They must have stood in that alley for half an hour, unable to do anything else but stare at each other. For so many years they had been waiting for this moment, only for it to be a mistake. He remembers being the first one to move and reach out for her, his hands shaking.

“M-Marinette…” He couldn’t tell if she was breathing at all; she was frozen in her spot until she found the strength to take a step back from him. “Marinette, wait-!“ When she broke into a run, he followed her into the Agreste building where they were immediately thrown back into work. Marinette was practically impossible to find after that, and he knew she was avoiding him like the plague. 

He didn’t see her till the end of the day when he was running to catch the elevator only to find her there. Adrien tried to not feel offended when he noticed her flinch upon seeing him. All of a sudden, he felt awfully claustrophobic; it was as if the tension was suffocating him. “Marinette, please, I just wanted to talk-“

“What’s there to talk about? There’s nothing to talk about!” He couldn’t help but cringe at how fake her attempt at cheerfulness sounded. 

“That’s a lie and you know it.”

“Look.” Adrien nearly jumped at the force in her voice; he was so used to hearing it from Ladybug and never from Marinette. How did it take him so long to realize that their voices were one and the same? “Nothing. Happened.”

“Bug.” She tensed instantly at that as if she turned to ice. “You’re in denial. We should be talking about this, not running from it.”

“Don’t.” It was only one word, but it was threatening enough. Soon enough they reached the ground floor and Adrien had to grab onto her wrist to stop her from sprinting away.

“Fine, we won’t talk about it now. But you know where to find me when you want to.” It took everything in him to keep walking out the door without looking back. 

Later that night, Chat Noir waited on the roof for what felt like hours. With every passing minute, Adrien spiralled further and further. _Why isn’t she coming? Sure, she’s always late to patrol but now she just doesn’t want to show up. Does she regret it was me? Is that why she doesn’t want to talk about what happened?_

Relief all but flooded him when he heard the distinct sound of Ladybug landing behind him. “Milady.” 

“ _Adrien._ ” He couldn’t help but flinch at that, knowing full well he deserved it. She didn’t sit by him, instead, taking a seat a few feet away. Neither one talked, and neither one knew what to say. Unable to stand the silence any longer, Chat bit the bullet and turned to her.

“Remember when we had to fight Horrificator? When we were helping Nino shoot that short film?” Despite getting no response from her, he kept talking in hopes something would get to her. “You were asking if Adrien was okay and I ducked behind one of the piles of goo and said I was, even if I was next to you the entire time.” 

Saying it out loud made him realize just how silly it was knowing who she was now, but she remained quiet. “Remember when I was late for that akuma last week? I was stuck in a meeting, and I had a hard time trying to get away,” he chuckled, leaning back on his elbows to look over the city. “I told them I had a uh… bathroom emergency. I lied and said I was lactose-intolerant.”

Adrien’s head snapped towards Ladybug’s as she tried to disguise her laugh as a cough. “You aren’t even lactose-intolerant.”

“Oh, I know,” he grinned. “But they don’t know that.” She did laugh at that, and he couldn’t be happier; he was making progress.

“You know, I was trying so hard to impress you – well, Marinette you – when we were against Evillustrator. But something tells me you just thought of me as foolish.”

“I’ve always thought of you as foolish, Kitty,” she smirked, turning to him for the first time. He could tell she was still holding herself back, but she was slowly coming back to him. 

_There she is._ “You know, I wrote Ladybug a Valentine’s poem so many years ago… I’ve loved you a long time, Milady.”

“I know… I saw it,” she admitted quietly, staring out across the rooftops. “I wrote one for Adrien too… But I never signed it.”

 _Never signed it… No. It can’t be._ He looked at her in disbelief for the second time that day, his mind racing to put pieces together. The unsigned Valentine’s card he received so long ago… The very one he obsessed over for months. The one he read over and over again until it was burned into his memory. The one he still kept close to his heart to this very day.

She loved him. He loved her. They were in love with each other and they didn’t even know it. 

“I’ve loved you a long time too, Kitty.” It was unbelievably quiet, and he might’ve missed he wasn’t listening so carefully. Even so, it was enough to make his brain malfunction. 

“W-What?”

He watched with bated breath as she sighed. “I fell in love with you, Adrien, when you gave me your umbrella in the rain on your first day of school… I must’ve had a crush on you for years… That is until I started having feelings for someone else…” 

_She-She used to love me? I’m too late?? Who did she-_

“…Until I started having feelings for Chat Noir.”

Adrien’s brain completely melted down, unable to say more than “W-Wuh… Huh?” Once he got past the initial shock of the biggest revelation of his life, he was overjoyed. _We’re in love. We love each other! This is great! We can get married and have a family and a hamster named-_

He forced his mind to stop when he noticed she didn’t look as excited for their future as he did. Instead, she looked heartbroken. Worry pooled in the pit of his stomach, a growing fear overtaking his thoughts. _What if she wishes it wasn’t me?_

“Marinette… Are you upset that it was me?” Her head snapped to him at that, eyes wide and reassurances already on her lips. 

“No! No, of course not! There’s no one else I’d rather have as my partner, Chaton.”

“I feel the same way, Bug.”

“But…” _Oh god there’s a but._ She took a steadying breath before meeting his eyes. “Do you remember Chat Blanc? I… Haven’t told you everything.”

For the next ten minutes – which could’ve been arguably the worst ten minutes of his life – Ladybug told him all about the future Bunnyx showed her all those years ago. A flooded city, a moon cracked in two, a world in white and blue where he killed her and everything in France. 

All because of their love for each other. 

He didn’t understand; loving each other should’ve been the best thing to have ever happened. How could something so good be the catalyst for something so bad?

By the time she finished her story, she had scooted over to his side so they could hold onto each other for comfort. His brows were pinched together as he matched her pained expression. Adrien reached out and cupped Ladybug, Marinette, his lady, his princess, his partner’s cheek, hoping and praying she didn’t say the words he feared so much. 

“I love you, Marinette. I love every side of you. Whether you’re wearing the mask or not, you’re my lady.”

“And you’re my Kitty,” she smiled weakly, her palm raising to cup his cheek. She just let out a pitiful laugh as his thumb brushed away the tears slowly forming on her eyelids. “I love you too, Chaton. And I always will… But-“

“Don’t say it,” he begged, his other hand clenching the hand on his cheeks in hopes of keeping her there. “ _Please,_ Marinette. Don’t do this…”

His tears fell along with hers as she forced herself to be the hero she had to be, despite everything in her wanting to fall apart. 

“I’m sorry, Adrien… But we can’t be together.”


	23. Chin Scratches

Marinette sighed as she trudged out of the Agreste building. The past week had been absolute torture; it was hard being around Chat – Adrien – knowing he loved her back. She wanted nothing more than to go on a real first date with him, call him her boyfriend and say “I love you,” whenever she wanted. But she was a hero. The city came before anything else, even the people protecting it. If their love is the reason Chat gets akumatised and destroys Paris, then Adrien was off-limits.

That, of course, didn’t stop the quick glances his way when he wasn’t looking, the way her cheeks burned whenever he teased her, or the lingering touches when they accidentally bumped into each other. They were a nightmare for HR. Because of their not-so-discreet pining, they had to confirm that, no, they were not romantically involved, no, they were not sleeping together and yes, they were just friends. 

Marinette didn’t hate any two words more. 

She slipped into an alley to transform, already running late for patrol but that was nothing new. A few feet behind her, something knocked over and dread filled her. _Oh god, no. Not again._ Ladybug turned towards the noise, hoping she wasn’t caught transforming again only to find a tuxedo kitten, hiding behind a cardboard box. 

“Aw, hello Minou,” she cooed, carefully approaching the kitten as it hissed at her. “Hey, it’s okay, I won’t hurt you.” She watched carefully as it sniffed at her outstretched hand before nudging it affectionately. “Oh, aren’t you just the cutest thing. I’m sure Chat wouldn’t mind the extra company tonight.”

~~~~~

“Sorry, sorry, I know I’m really late,” she breathed, landing behind him on the Eiffel tower with the kitten in hand. 

“Nah, it’s fine. I know you were helping clean up after the shoot earlier,” he reassured, turning to greet her only to notice the kitten in her arms. “Uh… Bug? Whatcha got there?”

“A smoothie,” she joked, taking a seat next to him and laying the kitten on her lap.

“I appreciate the meme, but seriously, where did you find this little guy?” Chat picked up the kitten and paused. “Little girl. It’s a girl.”

“I see that, Chat.” Ladybug watched as the kitten swatted at him playfully, forcing her heart to not swell at the sight. _God that’s too cute._ “I found her when I was transforming. I think someone abandoned her.”

“What? _No._ Who would abandon the cutest ball of fluff I have ever seen?” Chat pouted, nuzzling up against the kitten’s little head. “You know, you should adopt her. She could be our mascot!”

“We don’t need a mascot when we have you, Kitty,” she teased, flicking his bell as he glared back at her. “Besides, my building doesn’t allow pets. I was going to take her to the shelter or an adoption center. Hopefully, she’ll find a good home there.”

“She already did.”

Her head snapped towards Chat at that. “What do you mean? You can’t seriously be considering adopting her.”

“It’s not considering when I’ve already decided,” he replied stubbornly. “My building allows pets and it’ll be nice to have a roommate besides Plagg.”

“Are you sure, though?” Marinette was more than a little doubtful; Adrien barely knew how to take care of himself, let alone another living creature. “You’re always busy between work and, well, this,” she motioned towards the city. “Will you have time to take care of her? It’s a lot of responsibility, you know.”

“It’ll be fine, Bug. Besides, I already know what I’m going to name her.”

“Oh no. Don’t-“

“Cat-y Purr-y.”

“No.” Ladybug groaned, rubbing her temples. She loved him with everything in her but God, were his puns insufferable. “There’s no way you’re naming her Cat-y Purr-y. Don’t you think it’s overkill? At least go for Katy Purr-y.”

“There’s no such thing as overkill when it comes to puns, but I do see what you mean.” Kitten still in hand, Chat got up to his feet and held Katy Purr-y up in the air as if she were Simba. Below, a few tourists and civilians clapped. “Welcome to the team, Katy Purr-y!”

Marinette just shook her head at her partner, letting him be. _I am in love with a man-child._ “You’re something else, Chaton.” Once he sat back down, she reached over and gave their new mascot a scratch under her chin. Chat blinked at first before looking at her expectedly and she rose a brow back at him. “What? Don’t tell me you’re jealous, Kitty.”

“And if I am?” he pouted, jutting his chin out for her to give him his fair share of scratches, purring when she complied. “You haven’t done this since… you know.”

“Ah… I guess I haven’t.” An awkward silence settled over them, and even Katy could notice as she looked between the two. “I’m sorry.”

“No, don’t be. I get it,” he reassured, petting his new kitten for comfort. “I don’t know if anything I do is too much anymore, you know? I don’t know if kissing your hand or my stupid pickup lines are crossing the line.”

She missed those stupid pickup lines and the kisses on her knuckles. More than she ever thought she would. “We’re a mess, aren’t we? I don’t want to cross a line either… It’s hard.”

“It is…” he sighed, laying a tentative hand on hers. “But we’ll be okay, right? It’s you and me against the world, Milady. We can get through this.”

“Yeah,” she smiled, feeling hopeful despite her heart feeling otherwise. “We’ll be okay.”


	24. Post-Reveal Pre-Relationship

Marinette always knew that once she knew her partner’s identity, they would be great friends. Admittedly, it was hard at first, knowing they could only be nothing but friends until Hawkmoth was gone. Slowly yet surely, they fell into an easy rhythm together. 

It was always nice to see a friendly face among the interns that weren’t as friendly looking; being close friends with the boss’s supermodel son will do that. 

“Oh, Marinette~” Adrien called as he strutted into the room in search of his favourite intern. Seeing her by the clothes racks for the shoot, he sauntered over to her eagerly. “What are you dressing me in today?” 

“ _I_ won’t be dressing you in anything,” she corrected, grabbing him by the shoulders to turn him towards another intern. “You will be with Lucy today.”

“And what about you?”

“I believe she’ll be with me.” Adrien turned around to spot a man about their age approaching them. He was taller than Adrien by an inch, sweeping brown hair and – oh god – green eyes. _She has a thing for green eyes!_ “Erik Lefeuvre,” he greeted with a smile and an outstretched hand. When Adrien didn’t shake his hand, Marinette did, throwing her partner a glare. 

“It’s nice to meet you, Erik,” she smiled. “I’m Marinette. I’ll be dressing you today. Adrien was just leaving. _Right, Adrien?_ ” She may have had a smile on her face, but he knew her better than that; her eyes were threatening to throw him off the Eiffel tower if he didn’t comply. 

“Right! You two have fun.” He flashed them his signature model grin before reluctantly heading over to Lucy to get dressed. He let Lucy do her job, adjusting his dress shirt and helping him get into his father’s newest design all while keeping a close eye on Erik and Marinette. 

If anyone asked, he would deny the jealousy bubbling in his chest as they laughed together as if they’d been friends forever. Really, he wasn’t jealous at all. When she caught his glare with mischief in her eyes, he knew he was in trouble. 

“Here you go, let me get that for you,” she offered, just loud enough for him to hear as she stepped closer to tie his tie. “There! All done,” she smiled, giving his chest a friendly pat.

“Thanks! Guess it says a lot that I don’t know how to tie a tie,” he chuckled and she laughed along easily, throwing the blonde a look over her shoulder. _Something the matter, Kitty?_

His eyes grew dark as he watched the duo, unaware he was growling low in his throat until Lucy looked at him, concerned. “Uh… Are you okay?”

“A-Ah… Just got something in my throat,” he reassured as his cheeks burned with embarrassment and passed it off as clearing his throat. 

“Two minutes, people! Adrien, Solange, you two are up first!”

 _Perfect. Game on, Milady._ Adrien stepped onto the set, greeting his partner for the shoot. “Solange! It’s been so long. You look great.” She really did, her light-yellow cocktail dress complimenting her dark skin nicely. 

“Courtesy of your father, of course. You look as handsome as always.” She got up on her toes to give Adrien a French greeting with a kiss on each of his cheeks. When he returned the gesture, he noticed Marinette practically burning with anger on the sidelines. He and Solange were usually playfully flirty whenever they had shoots together, but for the sake of making his lady jealous, he made a point to be extra flirty, and Solange played right along with him. 

If anyone saw Ladybug throw Chat Noir off the Eiffel tower later that night, no one questioned it. 

Of course, it wasn’t always petty jealousy contests between the two. 

After late-night akumas, Adrien would always make sure to bring coffee and bagels for the both of them in the morning. After busy and long workdays, Marinette would bring boardgames or a deck of cards to patrol so they could unwind. They made sure to take care of each other both in and out of the masks.

Now that she knew who her partner was, Marinette made it a point to teach Adrien how to cook. It wasn’t anything fancy, just a few easy recipes so he could start taking better care of himself. It was how they ended up in his kitchen, covered in flour as she tried to teach him how to make dumplings. 

“Dip your finger in the water and wet the edges here,” she instructed, showing him on her own dumpling before watching him copy her movements. “Yeah, just like that. Then fold it like this.”

“Doesn’t seem hard,” he nodded before they started to fold dumpling after dumpling. “Did your mom teach you how to make these?”

“Mhmm. Some of my favourite memories are cooking with my mom. I’m just glad I can pass it on to you,” she smiled fondly, watching his kitten try to hop up onto the counter. “The best thing is, you can freeze the extras and cook them whenever you want.” 

“Always thinking ahead, Milady.” It was a nice feeling, making dinner with her; it felt homey, and he hadn’t felt that in a long time. He let himself enjoy the moment for just a while before ruining it. He moved to dip his finger into the water, just as she showed him, but instead of wetting the edges, he flicked it at Marinette. 

Her head snapped up at him in disbelief as she processed what he just did. “Did you just-“ He flicked more water at her with a grin. “Oh, you are _so_ done.” 

It didn’t take long for things to escalate in a full-blown fight that consisted of flicking water and throwing flour. The two ran around the kitchen, Katy Purry at their heels. They only came to a stop when Adrien managed to trap her against the counter, holding the bowl of water above her head threateningly. 

“Okay! Okay! I surrender!” Once their laughter died down, she realized just how close they were; all of a sudden, her face wasn’t red from the laughing, but something else altogether.

“You know,” he started, his facing getting dangerously close to her. “I expect something for winning.”

“O-Oh?” Marinette’s eyes fluttered close as he came closer, stopping when their lips were a breath away. 

“Make me the best dumplings ever.”

Her eyes snapped open to glare at him in proper Ladybug fashion before pushing him away with a grumble. “Stupid Tomcat.” Even as she stomped away, muttering a string of insults under her breath at his expense, he couldn’t help but smile fondly. 

They may not be able to love each other, but their friendship meant the world to him. What matters most is that he still had her in his life; that alone made getting up in the mornings worth it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this is very Adrienette heavy, but it screams Ladynoir energy to me xD


	25. Pining

Ladybug and Chat Noir spent nearly every waking moment together from the moment they arrived at work to the moment they left patrol, they were together. More often than not, it would be Marinette assisting Adrien on shoots, and he grew used to having her dressing him.

It was when she would be assigned to other models, particularly ones like Erik that she became so close to, that would get him jealous. He knew he had no right to be; she was just being nice, and she wasn’t his girlfriend. She could hang out with whoever she wanted to. 

Unfortunately, that included male supermodels that weren’t him. 

“Just a heads up, I’m going to be late to patrol tonight,” she warned as they took the elevator down together. 

“You mean later than usual?” She hit his arm at that. 

“I’m not _that_ bad,” she defended. “Besides, I actually have a reason this time. I’m getting coffee with Erik.” As if on cue, the elevator doors opened as they reached the ground floor where Erik was waiting in the foyer. 

“Ah…” It didn’t take long for him to start spiralling once she left his side for Erik’s. They had agreed to remain friends to prevent the consequences of Chat Blanc, but he didn’t think she would move on from him so fast. She couldn’t be with him so why not be with someone else? He couldn’t blame her for that, no matter how much it hurt. 

It was her smile that eventually pulled him back and he mustered a smile back. Her smile wavered and he knew she could see right through him. “I should get going, but I’ll see you later, okay?”

“Okay. You two have fun.” He stayed until he couldn’t see them anymore and a brick of self-pity settled in his gut. 

Once he transformed and started patrolling, he slowly stopped wallowing. He jumped from roof to roof, his adrenaline pumping as the wind blew in his face; it was just what he needed. Patrolling the streets and looking for tell-tale black butterflies gave him something to do other than think about Marinette and her possible date with Erik.

By the time he finished his patrol route, Adrien fully believed he was feeling better. But in the blink of an eye, he was back to the pit of self-pity. He came to a stop to catch his breath, only to find himself face to face with the very café where Marinette and Erik were.

His heart ached at the sight of Erik’s hand on top of hers, and the small smile she gave him. But, at least she was smiling; she was happy. At the end of the day, Adrien didn’t care how unhappy he was, as long as his lady was smiling. 

~~~~~

“Thanks for coming with me, Marinette.” Erik grinned as he took a seat across the table from her by the window, their drinks in hand. “I’m still pretty new to the company, and you’re the first friend I made since coming here,” he admitted sheepishly, playing with the end of his cup’s teabag. 

“Of course! I get what it’s like,” she laughed weakly. “I haven’t made a bunch of friends there either.”

“I find that hard to believe.”

She shrugged. “Some of the interns can be pretty cutthroat, is all.”

“I can get that. It’s a competitive field.” Erik paused to take a sip of his drink, almost hesitating before speaking again. “I’ve got admit though, I thought they might resent you for how close you are with Adrien.”

“Oh, they do,” Marinette laughed dryly. She was well aware of the burning glares and pettiness she got from the other interns, but she never thought any of it was worth acknowledging. “He’s… Just a high school friend. That’s all.” 

“Oh. I really thought you two were…” Marinette shook her head sadly. “Ah… Sorry I’ve made things weird, haven’t I?”

“No, no you’re fine,” she reassured with a sigh. “I do care about him like that, it’s just that I can’t, you know?”

“Yeah, I guess dating the boss’s son is pretty off-limits, huh?” He reached out and placed his hand on hers and Marinette gave him a small smile in return. “I’m sorry, Marinette. That must be rough. If I can do anything…”

“Thanks, Erik. It means a lot.” Despite herself, her heart couldn’t but race when she caught a blur of black outside the window. 

~~~~~

“Here, I brought you a croissant.” Landing on the Eiffel tower, Ladybug tossed Chat a paper bag from the café. “And it’s still warm.”

“You know, it’s reasons like these that I’m glad you’re my partner.” Even though he was joking around, she knew his heart wasn’t in it. Just like she knew his smile back in the lobby was fake. She knew her Kitty too well. “So… How was your date?” 

“Date?”

“Yeah. With Erik.”

She sighed. _So that’s what’s been bothering you._ “It wasn’t a date. We were just grabbing coffee as friends. I know you saw us, you know.”

“Ah… You did, huh?” Chat had the decency to feel embarrassed, suddenly very interested in his croissant. “I’m sorry. I swear I wasn’t stalking you or anything! I was just on patrol when I saw you guys.”

“It’s okay, Chat. I’ve got admit though, I would’ve crashed the date if roles were reversed.”

“Oh, believe me, I wanted to,” he chuckled dryly. “Maybe next time I’ll do just that. But, you looked happy. And that’s enough for me, Milady.”

She turned towards her partner, falling for him just a bit more. She almost wished he would stop talking like that to make staying away from him easier. But she knew she never wanted him to stop. “It’s hard, isn’t it? But you know what? We’ve got the rest of our lives to be together.”

He turned to her when he felt her head on his shoulder, looking at her in surprise. It was the last thing he expected to hear her say. “What are you trying to say, Bug?” 

“I think you could be it for me, Kitty,” she admitted quietly. “We’ve got forever to get together… We have all the time in the world. All we have to do is catch Hawkmoth and that’s it.”

“It sounds so easy when you say it.”

“Because it is. Just another one of my flawless plans.” Ladybug turned towards him with a hopeful smile on her face. “What could go wrong when I’ve got you, Chaton?”

Little did they know, that the clock was already ticking. 

In less than twenty-four hours…

…Their time would run out. 


	26. Sacrifice

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: DEATH AND FIRE  
> This chapter heavily deals with fire and death, so please read with caution

“You’re early.”

When Adrien opened his eyes, he was in his bed and Marinette was sitting on the chair in the corner of his room. Nothing was out of place, but something in his gut told him something was wrong. 

“Bug? What are you doing here?” He took a closer look at her; she was on her tablet, maybe working on a new design. The more he looked at her, the more that instinct in his gut grew. “Is there something wrong?”

The fact that she had to pause to think about it concerned him. “Yes, I guess you could say that.” 

Adrien crossed the room to stand in front of her and noticed a new pin on her shirt for the first time. A scythe. His mind screamed _Wrong, wrong, wrong_ as her eyes met his and his chest started to ache. Her freckles were off, and her eyes… They were a darker shade instead of the bright blue he knew and love. This wasn’t his Marinette. “Who are you.” It was less of a question and more of a demand. 

“You tell me.” The imposter looked at him with curiosity, setting the tablet down on her lap. “Who am I to you?”

“You… You look like Marinette. She’s my partner, my best friend.” _The love of my life._ “But I know you aren’t her.”

She had the decency to look impressed. “You must care for her a lot. Not many people can tell the difference.”

“Tell the difference? What are you-“

“I know you, Adrien Agreste. I’ve had to keep tabs on you for a while now. I had the feeling you’d be an early arrival,” she sighed, almost in annoyance as she lifted up her tablet. “Adrien Agreste. Also commonly known as Chat Noir. Son of Gabriel and Emilie Agreste.”

If she wasn’t off-putting before, she definitely was now. Who the hell was this lady? Why did she look like Marinette? How did she know so much about him? “H-Hey! How do you-“

“Date of birth, September 21, 2006,” she continued reading off her tablet as if she didn’t hear him, as if he wasn’t there. “Date of death… July 26, 2027.”

The words were like a gunshot to the chest, sending him staggering backwards until he reached his bed. _Dead? No… That’s not right, I can’t be. I’m-_ No matter how much he tried to deny it, he knew she was right. For the first time since opening his eyes, he looked down at himself, only to notice he was translucent. _I’m dead._

Oh god. This wasn’t supposed to happen. Just the night before, he and Marinette talked of having all the time in the world. They were supposed to grow old together. He was supposed to be by her side no matter what. It wasn’t fair to either of them. 

Nino… His first best friend. Adrien didn’t have the heart to imagine how he might take the news. It hurt him even more to know he’d be causing his best friend so much pain. He was supposed to go watch his first big gig that weekend… And now he couldn’t. 

And his father… Even if they didn’t get along, Adrien was worried about his father. He became a total recluse when they lost his mother. What would he do when he found out he lost his son too? 

“I’m sorry,” she started, pulling him out of his thoughts. “I’m supposed to appear as the person who gives you the greatest comfort. I suppose that this Marinette girl is someone important to you. Important enough for you to know I was a fake.”

“She is.” He refused to use the past-tense. Dead or alive, Marinette Dupain-Cheng would always be the most important person in his life. “So, who are you really, then?”

“Isn’t it obvious? I’m the Grim Reaper,” she said plainly. “Though, I guess I’m quite different from what you mortals think of me.”

He nodded absent-mindedly, still trying to process everything. “You said I was early. What did you mean by that?”

“Just as it sounds. You died before you were supposed to.” Just as Adrien opened his mouth, the Grim Reaper raised a hand to cut him off. “Before you ask, no. I will not tell you about your future, or when you were supposed to die. I run a clean ship here, Mr. Agreste, and most spirits don’t want to know about the future they could have lived.”

He understood why; if his future was as bright as he thought it would be with Marinette by his side, he might go mad knowing he would never live to see it. “Then… What happened?”

She narrowed his eyes at him as if she were determining if he could handle the truth. “Are you sure?” Seeing no hesitation in his eyes as he nodded, she nodded back. “If you’re sure.” She stood and flicked the scythe pin on her chest, watching as a tall and ornate ceremonial scythe appeared in her hand. She gave it a wave and his room dissolved around him into mist. 

They stood in an alleyway, the air around them heavy and hot. The sky was painted a dangerous yellow and orange. At first, he thought it might’ve been sunset until he noticed all the smoke in the distance. In front of them, he – his body – was still dressed as Chat Noir, Ladybug cradling him desperately on the ground. 

He didn’t know what hurt him more; the hard reality of seeing his limp body, or the sight of his lady mourning him. Tears soaked her cheeks as he moved to crouch in front of her. Adrien reached out to cup her cheek only for his hand to go right through her. Every one of her sobs was like a stab in the chest. It wasn’t fair to be in so much pain when he was already dead. 

Behind him, the Grim Reaper stepped forward when she sensed his distress and placed a hand on his shoulder. “Is it finally hitting you?”

He nodded, his eyes never leaving Ladybug’s. “It’s just that… I made a promise.”

~~~~~

One moment Marinette was enjoying her lunch break with Adrien and the next she was fighting alongside Chat Noir, Carapace and Rena Rouge against an akumatized fireman and his hose of flames. It was hard to get close to the akuma; whenever any one of them got too close, the villain would aim his hose at them, and they’d be forced to retreat. They needed to change the tide of the battle and fast. Inferno, as the villain liked to call himself, had already set half of Paris on fire. 

Ladybug dove behind a car, taking the opportunity to catch her breath before calling her lucky charm, but never got the chance to. 

“Milady, move!” Her eyes squeezed tight as Chat pushed her away from the car. When she opened her eyes again, she looked at her partner who stood where she had been just moments before as Inferno sent a ball of fire his way. 

“Chat, NO!” The last thing she saw was his smile, glad she was out of harm’s way before the car exploded. 

When the smoke cleared, she spotted him laying on his back. Her feet moved before she could process she was running to him, Rena Rouge calling after her. “Oh, Kitty…” Chat Noir was badly burnt, his hair turned black from the soot. Marinette’s hands hesitated to reach out to him as if he would crumble to ash beneath her fingertips. 

“Is he…” She looked up to meet Carapace’s eyes. 

“I… I don’t know. I have to get him out of here.” It was a bad time to leave the battle, she knew that. But nothing else mattered until she knew he would be okay. 

“You two go,” Rena Rouge reassured. “I’ll keep him busy.” 

Ladybug gave her a grateful nod, gathering Chat into her arms as Carapace protected her escape. When they found shelter in an alley far enough away from the fires, her knees finally gave way and she held her partner in her arms. “Please be okay, please, please, please. I’ll do anything,” she begged, desperate for any sign of life. 

Only to find none. 

“No… No, no, no!” Marinette sobbed and sobbed, her shoulders trembling as she held Adrien close to her chest. Despite all the heat in the air from the fires, she was frozen cold. “Adrien… Please, I love you… Don’t leave me… You can’t leave me like this…” She buried her face into his neck, tears leaking through her shut eyes as she murmured into his skin. 

Hearing footsteps come into the alley, she looked up to find Carapace, looking down at them hopefully. “He… He’s not breathing…” She looked up at Carapace, panic and helplessness settling in when she couldn’t find a pulse, couldn’t hear a heartbeat. “C-Carapace, he’s not breathing!” 

The turtle superhero crouched down next to her, trying to revive Chat Noir only to come up unsuccessful. “I’m so sorry. I’m so, _so_ , sorry, Ladybug.” She was surprised to see him crying; she hadn’t even told him his best friend was behind the mask yet. “I wasn’t fast enough. What use is the miraculous of _protection_ if I can’t even-“ He was reduced to tears, unable to finish his sentence. 

Marinette cupped Chat Noir’s cheek, wiping off the soot as she mourned the future she had wanted so badly with him. _I should have loved you when I had the chance._ Then it hit her. She still had a chance. “My cure… My miraculous cure…” Carapace looked up at her from his hands, not understanding what she was trying to say. “I haven’t brought someone back to life… But I have to try.” _For him._

“Go.” Carapace nodded, his resolve slowly coming back to him. “I’ll keep watch over him. You make sure to bring him back.”

Gently laying Chat’s body on the ground, Ladybug stood, determination setting in her bones. She’d be damned if she didn’t bring him back. “Lucky Charm!” Landing in her hands must have been the biggest water gun she’d ever seen. Marinette always thought it was Tikki choosing the lucky charms for her. If she was, she was just as upset about losing Chat Noir as she was. 

“Let’s go bring Chat back.”

~~~~~

Ladybug watched anxiously as the swarms of ladybugs washed over Paris, restoring it to its former glory. All at once, she was both eager and dreading going back to the alley. What if it didn’t work? What if Chat was _really_ gone? What was she going to do then?

Rena Rouge pulled her out of her thoughts, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder. “Go check on him. I’ll do damage control here and you can find me later for the miraculous.” 

She nodded, giving her a small smile before slowly heading back to the alley. Her heart pounded in her ears as she silently begged to all the kwamis and Ladybug holders before her that Adrien was okay. 

He wasn’t. He was in the same state as before; unmoving and lifeless.

Carapace just shook his head sadly when he saw her return, standing up shakily. “I… I should go help Rena. I’ll give you two some space.”

Ladybug nodded absent-mindedly before collapsing on the ground next to Chat’s body. “God, we really messed up this time, didn't we?” she cried, brushing his singed hair out of his face. “What am I going to do without you, Adrien? I-I can’t do this alone… Not without you…” She cupped his face and pressed her lips to his one last time before burying her face into his neck. She sobbed and sobbed without any plans to stop, mourning everything she lost. 

She was convinced she lost her mind due to grief when she felt him shift under her. 

“Marinette?”


	27. Embrace

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: Death  
> This chapter has mentions of death so please read with caution.

“Marinette?”

She froze when she heard her name. This must have been her mind playing tricks on her; it was her grief and distress making her think it was his voice. But then strong arms wrapped around her to hold her tight and she could do nothing else but sob. As she buried her face into his neck, his pulse confirmed what she had hoped. 

He was alive. 

They sat in the alley long after both their miraculouses timed out, holding each other together. It wasn’t until the sun started to set and the sobs stopped did they pull away from each other. Marinette reached out to cup his cheek, making sure he was really there with her. 

“What happened?” Only then did she realize he didn’t know. He must have thought he fell unconscious sometime during the fight, only to wake up; how was she supposed to tell him she lost him? His eyes grew more and more concerned the longer it took for her to answer. 

“You really don’t remember?” She frowned, brows pinching together as he shook his head. “Maybe we should head to your place first… We need to talk.” She could tell he didn’t like the idea of being left in suspense, but he helped her up regardless. 

The walk back to his apartment was long and quiet, neither one knowing what to say. How could she tell him that he died? That she almost didn’t bring him back? By the time he opened his apartment door for her, Adrien was practically buzzing with anxious energy. 

“Okay, what _happened_ back there?” he asked once the door was closed. For the one that just came back from the dead, he looked more scared for her than he was for himself. “You’re scaring me, Bug.” 

She didn’t look at him, numbly walking to the couch where Katy climbed onto her lap. When she patted the spot next to her, he sat next to her and took her hand for support. “What’s the last thing you remember about the fight?”

“Well… I remember Inferno aiming at the car you were hiding behind,” he started, brows furrowing as he tried to recall the events. “I pushed you out of the way… Then it got really hot. Next thing I know, you’re crying on me in an alley. I guess I got knocked out.” When he looked at Marinette for confirmation, she flinched. She hadn’t been able to look at him since they left the alley, and it was starting to worry him. “But… That’s not all that happened, was it?”

She shook her head softly, her eyes focused on the floor. “You… You died, Adrien.” Her voice was barely audible, but he heard her loud and clear. “The car exploded after you pushed me away… That’s what killed you. I brought you to safety before going to finish the fight and… The miraculous ladybugs didn’t bring you back… At least not right away.”

Adrien leaned back in shock, trying to process it all. _I… Died? Not that can’t be right… I feel fine! I couldn’t have-_ He watched his partner closely, realizing just how shaken up she was. It explained why she was so quiet, why she could barely look at him, why she was so distant. She had been mourning him. 

“I… I guess I ran out of my nine lives.” It was an awful attempt to lighten the mood, his weak smile disappearing when Marinette looked back at him in shock, completely tear-stricken. 

“It’s not _funny._ Don’t you realize you got yourself killed this time, Chat!” Hearing her use his superhero name made him flinch. “I really thought I lost you…”

“I know, I’m sorry… I shouldn’t have- I was just trying to lighten the mood.” He scooted in closer to her, wrapping an arm around her as she rested her head on his shoulder. “You’re going to hate me for this… But I don’t regret it.”

“I knew you would say that.”

“I mean it. If it meant protecting you, I would do it all over again.”

“God, you really don’t get it, don’t you??” In the blink of an eye, she was absolutely livid and it gave Adrien backlash. She was still crying, but now they were tears of frustration and anger. “I can’t live without you! How do you expect me to protect Paris on my own? Or go to work knowing you won’t be there??”

“Marinette, I-“

“No, you don’t understand! It’s like you don’t care about what happens to you!” He watched helplessly as she stood up and started pacing, her hands shaking. “I appreciate you protecting me, you know that. But I can’t have you jumping in front of me when you don’t care about what happens to you! Not anymore.”

“Look, I know you’re upset,” he started carefully, getting up to place his hands on her arms. “But it’s my job to protect you so you can use your lucky charm and miraculous ladybugs.”

“You can do your job and still care about your well-being.” He opened and closed his mouth, trying to find some kind of counterargument only to find none. “I don’t expect you to stop taking hits for me. I know you aren’t going to stop because I know you, Chaton. But if you won’t look out for yourself, at least do it for me.”

“… You know there’s nothing I won’t do for you, Milady.”

“I know,” she smiled weakly. “I love you, you know that.”

No matter how hard it was to believe, yes, he was well aware of how she felt about him. “I-I know… And you know I love you too.”

“I do.” Seeing her eyes become unfocused, he wrapped his arms around her waist and brought her attention back to him. “When I thought I lost you… My biggest regret was missing out on the chance to be with you.” Adrien was sure all the air in his lungs disappeared as she wrapped her arms around his neck. “I don’t want to make the same mistake again.”

No matter how hard he tried to hold himself back, hope and anticipation surged through him. _Is this it?_ “What… What are you saying?”

“I’m saying… I’m done waiting. I don’t want to have to wonder what our future together might have been.” He didn’t dare breathe, didn’t dare move in fear of waking up from what must have been a dream. It was just too good to be true. “I want to be with you, Adrien Agreste. If you’ll have me.” She got her answer when he closed the distance between them and smiled against her lips. 

“It would be my greatest honour, Milady.”


	28. Confession

_40, 41, 42_ … Adrien glared at the floor numbers as he slowly made his way to the top floor. Even after twenty years of being his son, he still had to book meetings with his father. He wasn’t surprised when the elevator doors opened to an empty floor. After all, only Adrien, his father and Nathalie had the key cards that had access to the top floor. What he found odd was that Nathalie wasn’t there to greet him at the front desk. 

“Nathalie? Father?” No one answered his calls, leaving him to wander the floor alone. He checked the studio space, only to find nothing but worktables and his father’s most high-end pieces. Of course, Gabriel didn’t trust anyone but himself to work on them. 

The only other place he could be was his personal office. Just before he could knock on the door, his father’s voice sent ice through his veins. _“Nooroo, dark wings rise!”_

Adrien took a staggering step back as his hand fell to his side. _It can’t be… I must be hearing things… He may be a terrible father, but Hawkmoth?_ There was only one way to find out. “Plagg… Unlock the door.”

Plagg flew out of his pocket, watching his holder carefully. “Look, kid. I want to find Hawkmoth just as much as you do… But are you sure?” _What if you don’t like what you see?_

Despite the fear and dread in his eyes, Adrien squared his shoulders. “I… I need to know.” After Plagg flew out of the handle, he considered his choices. He could walk away, live in ignorant bliss and try to forget what he heard. Or, he could open the door, maybe find something he never wished he did and end a six-year-long battle. There only ever was one choice. 

He pushed open the door soundlessly, just enough to peek into his father’s office. At the far end stood the two supervillains he had been fighting since he was a teenager. He was bracing himself to see Hawkmoth, but Mayura too? The two were looking out over the city, amok and akuma in hand. 

He couldn’t get away from the door faster. Adrien was shaking as his mind raced, leaving him in shock. Ladybug had suspected his father was Hawkmoth long ago when he found the grimoire in the hidden safe. They dismissed him as a possibility when he conveniently got akumatised into the collector; they should’ve considered the chance that he akumatised himself. 

And Mayura? She had to be someone his father trusted, and he only trusted one person. It explained why her desk was empty. _Nathalie._

For so long, he lived under the same roof as the man that endangered himself and his friends. The man that exploited the negative emotions of others, leaving the citizens of Paris to fear their own feelings for six long years. The man that nearly killed him if Ladybug hadn’t brought him back. 

And for what? Adrien didn’t want to know. 

There was no time for him to spiral; there would be an akuma villain and a sentimonster out in the streets in a matter of moments. He knew he had to go find Marinette, transform and go protect the city… _From his father._

“Adrien?” Plagg’s voice pulled him out of the darkness, bringing him back to earth. “You know I really hate being the responsible one, but you have to go.” Plagg already hated Gabriel before. Now that he knew he was the one endangering all of Paris and his son, the only thing holding him back from cataclysm-ing him was Adrien’s well being.

“Yeah… Yeah, I know.” Plagg hated the faraway look in his holder’s eyes as he stared down at his ring before he shook himself out of it. Something told him it was going to be a long fight. 

~~~~~

“Alright, what has gotten into you?” Ladybug’s face was filled with nothing but concern; she had every right to be after the battle they had. He spaced out multiple times, resulting in Ladybug playing the role of protector for once. Her partner wasn’t okay, and she’d be damned if she couldn’t help him. 

“Sorry, Bug. Just a bit out of it I guess.” 

She wasn’t convinced for a moment. “You’re lying and I know you know I can tell.” When he didn’t answer, her concern only grew. She took a seat on the roof they were on and motioned for him to sit. “Talk to me, Kitty. What’s wrong? You kept on spacing out back there, you didn’t make any jokes, and you won’t even look at me.”

He opened and closed his mouth multiple times, unable to find the words. He himself didn’t believe them. “I… I don’t know how to…”

“It’s okay,” she reassured, running a soothing hand through his hair. “Take your time.” 

He did, letting her fingers calm him down. Once he told her, there was no going back. “I… Have good news and bad news.”

“Give me the good news first.”

“Well… The good news is I found out who Hawkmoth is.”

“You did? Chat, that’s great!”

“Bad news is… He’s my father. And Nathalie… She’s Mayura.”

“W-What?”

“Yeah, can you believe it? Hey, you always hated my father, right?” He tried so hard to laugh it off and joke around despite the tears streaming down his face. His laugh quickly became a sob as she gathered him up into her arms. “Now you can beat up my father and Hawkmoth for the p-price of one!”

“Oh, Kitty…” Adrien crumpled into her lap, unable to do anything but sob as she held him tight. “I… I’m so sorry…”

“He’s my _father_ , Marinette. All this time, it’s been him.” Her heart broke as he looked up at her, his eyes red from crying and despair written all over his face. She couldn’t imagine what he could’ve possibly been feeling. “He’s the one endangering us and all of Paris with his akumas… He’s the reason why I almost died…” 

As the sobs started up, she buried his face into her neck, stroking his back and hair soothingly. “I know… You don’t deserve any of this, Kitty… But, even if I never did like him, I do owe him one thing.”

“Your internship?”

“I couldn’t care less about the internship right now.” She pulled away slightly, cupping his cheeks to wipe away his tears. “He gave me the love of my life. And I wouldn’t trade you for the world, Chaton. Even for a world without Hawkmoth.” That got a smile out of him, even if he was still feeling a bit broken. “I love you, Adrien. Whatever you decide to do, I promise I’ll have your back.”

“I don’t know what I’ve done to deserve you, Milady. Thank you… It means a lot to me,” he murmured, resting his forehead against hers. “But I know we have to take him down.”

“Are you sure?”

“It’s going to hurt… I know it will,” he started, lacing his fingers with hers for support. “But this has been a long time coming. For the future we want… He has to go.”

“You won’t do it alone, I promise.” Looking into her eyes, he saw the resolve and determination he fell in love with all those years ago. Now, it was the resolve and determination to fight by his side. “It’s me and you. Just like it always has been. I’m going to be there through it all, I promise you.”

“With you by my side, Milady, there’s nothing we can’t do.” For the first time since that afternoon, Adrien smiled a real, genuine smile. There was nothing she wouldn’t do to see him smile. 

Ready or not, the countdown to the fall of Hawkmoth began. 


	29. Against The World

“Adrikins, but you _promised_ we’d get lunch today!” 

Nathalie looked up from her desk only to find Adrien, Marinette and Chloe Bourgeois of all people coming out of the elevator. None of them looked particularly pleased to be there; Adrien was stuck in between the two girls, assumingly to prevent them from fighting all while Marinette glared at the other girl. 

He walked over to Nathalie’s desk, leaning over to whisper to the assistant. “Marinette and I have a meeting with father today and I promised I’d take Chloe to lunch but she kind of… invited herself into the elevator if you know what I mean.” She only knew all too well. “Is it okay if Chloe waits out here, Nathalie?”

“Excuse me?” Nathalie held back the need to wince at Chloe’s screeched. “You expect me to just sit here? With her?” She looked at the assistant, her nose scrunched in disgust. “Why can’t I come in??”

“Chloe, the adults are talking. That’s why you can’t come in,” Marinette sighed, exasperated. “Adrien doesn’t _have_ to take you to lunch. So I suggest just sitting down and waiting unless that’s too hard for you?”

The girls glared back at each other, trading deathly stares until Chloe broke eye-contact with a huff. “Fine. But I won’t like it.”

“No one asked you to.” 

Without another look back, Marinette and Adrien walked down the hall to his father’s office. He tensed as they approached, all of the memories of the last time he was there flooding back. 

“Are you okay?” She reached out for his hand, squeezing it tight when she realized he was shaking. “We don’t have to do this if you don’t want to.”

“No… I know we have to.” Even as he squared his shoulders, Marinette could see the doubt and hesitation in his eyes. Even after all the neglect and lack of attention he got from his father, Adrien didn’t want to do any harm to him even if he deserved it.

“Hey.” she reached out and cupped his cheek, bringing his eyes to meet hers. “It’s you and me against the world, Kitty. You aren’t alone.”

Adrien gave her a weak smile, lacing his fingers with her hand on his cheek as he pressed a kiss to her palm. “Thank you, Bug. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

“Of course. No need to thank me.” Taking a deep breath to steel herself, she placed a hand on the handle and motioned for him to do the same. Once they opened that door, there was no going back. “Together?”

“Together.”

Gabriel was sitting at his desk on the far side of the room, not bothering to look up as they came in. “Adrien. Miss Dupain-Cheng. You’re late.”

“You can thank Chloe for that,” Adrien sighed. Internally, he was hoping his voice didn’t sound as small as he felt. “She must have held us up in the lobby for ten minutes. I’m sorry.”

His father hummed in understand, knowing just how problematic she could be. “Well, I’ll admit, I wasn’t expecting the two of you to book a meeting with me. Though, now I can see why.” When he looked up for the first time, his gaze zeroed in on their intertwined hands, almost glaring at them. “Adrien, I’m sure you must understand how it’ll look if people hear you’re dating an _intern._ What will people say about you? About her?”

He glanced down at their hands, feeling her grip on his tighten. Something told him it was less about comfort and more about holding herself back from attacking him right then and there. “With absolutely no respect at all, sir, I couldn’t care less what you or anyone else thinks about my relationship with Adrien.”

“Excuse me?” Gabriel couldn’t believe his ears; this _intern_ had the audacity to speak back to him in his own office? Didn’t she know he could end her career before it even started? “Do you know who you’re talking to?”

“Oh, I know full well who I’m talking to, but I don’t think you do, Mr. Agreste.” Marinette’s eyes were dangerous, daring him to challenge her. If only he knew his two nemeses were standing a mere five feet away from him. “I’ll be leaving the company. I’ve decided it’s the best decision for my career.”

“You must be more foolish than I thought,” he scoffed, unimpressed. “Don’t you realize how many young designers would kill for this internship?”

“I do. And I will admit I’ve learned a lot here,” she relented. “But if I’m going to be working on my own brand, I don’t want to have any connection to you, Hawkmoth.”

The two watched his expression carefully. There was a small part of Adrien that hoped his father didn’t know what she was talking about, but the way his shoulders tensed and face paled ever so slightly gave him away. “Is it true, father?”

“Adrien-“

“I said, _is it true?!_ ” Gabriel had the decency to flinch; he never heard his son raise his voice at him like that before. Adrien had always been docile, always one to beg and ask for something and accept what little was handed to him. He never demanded anything in his life; Gabriel had to wonder when he learned to do that. 

Not giving his son the satisfaction of an answer, he reached for the intercom to call in Nathalie only to be met with silence. “Nathalie! _Nathalie!_ ”

“Looking for someone?” He didn’t think he could be so intimidated by someone that stood barely five feet tall, but the deadly look of a predator locked in on her prey that Marinette had in her eyes could make even the strongest armies waver. “Queen Bee made sure your partner wouldn’t be coming to your rescue. If I’m right, Nathalie should be paralyzed by her desk without her miraculous right about now. Looks like you’re on your own, Hawkmoth.”

With Marinette and Adrien blocking the door and Nathalie out of commission, Gabriel quickly realized how trapped he was. He looked to his son, hoping to reason with him and explain why he needed the miraculouses in the first place. He didn’t expect to find the disappointment, disdain and hurt in his eyes; he was beyond reasoning with now. 

There was only one thing he could do. Gabriel bolted, crashing through the window and landing onto the roof of the adjacent building as Hawkmoth. 

“Father!” Adrien ran over to the broken window, watching his father’s retreating figure. He knew he was supposed to hate him, but a part of him was glad his father was okay. He looked over, feeling Marinette’s hand on his shoulder. 

“Let him go. We’ll get him, I promise.” 

~~~~~

Gabriel’s heart was beating out of his chest. It could be because he just jumped out of a window on the top floor and the adrenaline coursing through his veins. Or, it could be the fact that his son and, by extension, Marinette Dupain-Cheng and Chloe Bourgeois know he’s Hawkmoth. 

Or maybe, it could be the fact that Rena Rouge and Carapace were now chasing after him, just a few roofs behind. So, his son decided to tell the heroes then. _Betrayed by my own son… I thought I raised him better than that._ He dismissed the thought as fast as it came. _No matter. He’ll come around once I bring Emilie back._

Slowly, he started to realize just how close the two superheroes were, now nearly flanking him on either side of him. He kept running, letting his feet move thoughtlessly as he tried to think of a plan to get himself out of this. When he realized they were chasing him somewhere specific, practically corralling him, it was too late. With nowhere else to go Gabriel landed on the Eiffel tower, a bad sense of déjà vu washing over him; it was the same platform where the final battle of Heroes Day took place. 

The moment he touched down, Ladybug tackled him to the ground from behind a beam, making a grab for his miraculous. He may be old, but he was by no means slow. Hawkmoth grabbed the superheroine by the shoulders and flung her off him to rise to his feet. 

It was then that he noticed the dome of green hexagons courtesy of Carapace surrounding them, or rather, trapping him there on the platform. On top of the souvenir shop stood Carapace holding up his shelter with Rena Rouge as his bodyguard. There would be no escaping for him.

The three stared at each other, each one of them in a battle stance for the last time. 

“You’re done, Hawkmoth.” Ladybug wasn’t threatening him; it was more of a statement than anything else. 

Chat Noir held a hand out to him. “You have nowhere to go. Just hand over your miraculous and save yourself the trouble.”

“Never.”

And so, the final battle began.

The two superheroes were relentless, fighting to end it all. They gave him no space to breathe, let alone target Carapace or Rena Rouge so he could escape. He managed to put up a good fight on his own, and maybe it was his imagination, but Chat Noir seemed to be pulling his punches. It was just what he needed. 

Jumping back, he reared back his cane in preparation to bat him across the city only for Ladybug to push him out of the way to be on the receiving end instead. She went flying, slamming against the wall of the souvenir shop before slumping to the ground unconscious. 

From that moment, his fate was sealed. 

Chat Noir lunged for him, baton at the ready with a speed Gabriel didn’t see from him during the entire fight. There was nothing but pure fire in Chat’s eyes as he lunged at him, swinging his baton again and again with all the precision of a professional fencer. There was only so much he could block and parry before the hero saw his opening, kicking him square in the chest and sending him sprawling across the floor. 

Chat Noir was on him before Gabriel even had the sense to get back up again, his boot on his chest keeping him pinned to the floor. “You terrorized Paris for years. You purposefully manipulated others, feeding their negative emotions to control them to do your bidding.” With the dangerous edge in his voice and the dark look in his eyes, he couldn’t even recognize the fun-loving hero Paris loved so much. Chat Noir was done joking around. “You endangered countless civilians, threatened the lives of us heroes and even nearly ended my own. But it’s over, now.”

With a hand over his miraculous, Chat Noir looked dead into his eyes as his next words delivered the worst blow yet. 

“Your reign of terror is over, father.”


	30. Rooftop Dates

The police were waiting for them at the bottom of the Eiffel tower, ready to handcuff Gabriel Agreste. The former king of fashion went into the back of Roger Raincomprix’s cop car wordlessly. If anyone noticed Chat Noir flinch as the door slammed shut, no one mentioned it. 

“We’ll be taking him into custody where we’ll hold him before his trial,” he explained as he approached the two superheroes. “We’ve already taken in Ms. Sancoeur from the Agreste building like you’ve asked, Ladybug.” 

“Thank you, officer.” She gave him her signature hero smile. “You and your men have been a big help.”

“Of course. It’s about time that man has been brought to justice. Though…” Mr. Raincomprix hesitated, sparing a look to the former terrorist in his car. “Do you think his son knew?” Both Ladybug and Chat Noir tensed at that. “Adrien Agreste is a good kid; I’ve never seen him break a law. It’d be a shame to find out he’d been helping his father.”

“Actually, it was Adrien Agreste who told us who Hawkmoth was,” Ladybug interjected immediately. “We have reason to believe he had no idea about his father’s actions and had no connection to Hawkmoth.”

“But,” Chat Noir spoke up, forcing his voice to sound as level as possible. “If you need to question him, I’m sure he would comply.” His partner looked at him worriedly, her eyes asking _‘Are you sure?’_ before nodding back. 

“I would advise going easy on him. This is just as big a revelation to him as everyone else.” 

“We’ll keep that in mind, Ladybug. Thank you again.” Officer Raincomprix gave them on more nod before taking Gabriel Agreste away. 

“How are you holding up?” Ladybug looked to Chat, his eyes still watching the back of the cop car. 

“I’m… Still standing. I’ll be fine.”

“Well… It’s okay if you aren’t. You’ve been through a lot today.” He looked down at her when she took his hand and gave it a squeeze. “We still have a lot to do today… If you want to stay back, I’ll understand.”

“No, I want to come,” he insisted after a while. “I don’t want to sit at home alone right now.”

“Of course. But if it becomes too much at any time, just tell me.”

Adrien managed to stand by Ladybug’s side, letting her take the lead as she addressed the press; they would hold a press conference in a couple days with more information, but yes, Gabriel Agreste had been arrested for his crimes as Hawkmoth and Paris was now safe. 

He managed to keep a straight face as they met up with Queen Bee who looked uncharacteristically grim, even when she caught him by surprise. 

“Have you… Have you seen Adrien by any chance?” she asked when she handed over both her miraculous and Mayura’s. “I haven’t been able to reach him and well… I can’t imagine what he must be going through.”

Adrien’s mouth went dry when he noticed how worried and concerned she was for him. “I’m sure he appreciates you reaching out, Chloe.” It was a miracle his voice didn’t waver right then and there. “He’s lucky to have a friend like you to check in on him.”

She looked up, realizing she’d gone soft with them before the look of indifference returned to her face. “Well _of course_ he appreciates it! I’m Chloe Bourgeois; not many people besides my Adrikins is worthy enough for my attention!”

He couldn’t help but chuckle. His friendship with Chloe was nothing if not a rollercoaster ride filled with plenty of ups and downs, but he’d always kept it close to his heart. Adrien couldn’t be more proud of the girl she grew to be. _Never change, Chloe Bourgeois._

~~~~~

Adrien was really starting to believe that he was going to make it through the rest of the day without having a complete breakdown. That all went out the window when they stood before the gates of the Agreste mansion. 

“You don’t have to come, you know.” Ladybug stood before him, giving one more chance to back out. When she said she wanted to investigate his house, he gave her permission thinking he’d be strong enough to go in with her. Now that he stared at his childhood home, he wasn’t so sure. 

“No… I have to. I need to know what else he was hiding from me.”

They went straight to his father’s office. The man practically lived in there; if they were going to find anything, it would be in his office. Adrien gravitated towards the golden portrait of his mother, wondering what she would think if she could see him now. 

He ran his fingers over the painting, his fingers catching on two sets of buttons. Nothing could have prepared him for an elevator to open in the ground. As the two descended into darkness, anticipation and fear consuming him. 

When they reached the bottom, Marinette took his hand in hers and gave it a squeeze. _‘It’s okay. I’m right here.’_ It gave him the strength he needed to walk across the catwalk towards the greenery on the other side. 

Then he saw her, and any remaining strength dissipated. 

Adrien’s knees buckled, sending him to the ground in front of his mother’s unconscious body. She looked just as she did when she disappeared; she wasn’t dead or missing, she had been right beneath his feet all this time in an endless sleep. He understood now why his father wanted the miraculous so bad; it was to bring back his mother. 

Unable to hold himself together any longer, Adrien let the dam break and fell into Marinette’s lap, broken and desperate to be fixed. 

~~~~~

It wasn’t fair. 

There they sat on their favourite roof, watching over the city they had been protecting for so long. The city of Paris was rejoicing, free from the threat of Hawkmoth for the first time in six years. Passerbys would wave up at them, offering their thanks and gratitude when they noticed Ladybug and Chat Noir above them, but the best they could muster was a smile and a wave. They should have been happy, celebrating along with the city. Instead, they were robbed of the victory they deserved. 

Adrien was left without a mother yet again, mourning her a second time while his father awaited trial. He had more than his fair share of scars that may never heal, but he knew he wasn’t going through it alone. 

Marinette never left his side, being the rock he needed to get by. It was because of her that he still had hope, her determined spirit enough for both of them. The fight for a happy ending would be their most difficult fight yet, but it would never be a fight he’d have to face alone. She was still his partner after all, and she would never leave him to fight without her. It was him and her against the world, just like always. 

As long as he had her, happily ever after didn’t seem so impossible after all.


	31. Home

_Three years later…_

It wasn’t easy, and it sure as hell wasn’t quick, but Adrien found peace. 

Three years ago, he was at the lowest point in his life. After his father was arrested, people started to suspect he worked alongside Hawkmoth. Even after being compliant with the authorities and Ladybug and himself as Chat Noir reassured them that he was innocent, people still had their doubts. Everything from quiet whispers whenever he walked by or crazy conspiracy theories on the internet, Adrien’s seen it all.

If only they knew he was the hero that took Hawkmoth down in the end. 

Gabriel Agreste’s trial lasted three days. Apparently, the law didn’t account for magic-miraculous-wielding supervillains. Adrien was forced to testify twice. He spent the first day as himself, describing his distant if not non-existent relationship with his father, proclaiming his innocence and assuring that, no, he had no idea that his mother was kept in a comatose state under the mansion. 

He had the jury convinced when he started to have a breakdown on the stand. 

On the second day, he testified as Chat Noir, confirming that it was Gabriel Agreste that appeared when he took back the butterfly miraculous and that he had been behind every single akumatisation in the last six years.

When the trial was over on the third day, his father was sent to prison for life. He caught his father’s eye just before they took him away. He didn’t know what he expected to see; Gabriel had a look of disappointment, maybe a bit of guilt, but regret was absent on his face. Adrien turned away and never looked back; he hasn’t seen his father since. Maybe one day he would find it in him to visit his father, but that day hasn’t come yet.

Shortly after the trial, he was forced to bury his mother. Surrounded by friends and the little family he had left, he said goodbye to his mother for good. 

After that, Adrien disappeared from the public eye for two months. Marinette moved in with him so he wouldn’t have to be alone, putting her career on hold during that time to take care of him and his kitten. There would be days where he’d be completely unresponsive, staring blankly at nothing all day. Other days, he’d start and finish the days in tears. Through it all, Marinette was there, ever-present, ever patient with him.

She was so gentle, so kind and so safe. It didn’t matter what he needed; Marinette was there to provide it. From doing his laundry to making sure he had something to eat, to helping him shave when his beard started to come in, she was there. He didn’t know what he did to deserve to be sent an angel like her. He didn’t know what he did to deserve any of the attention of his friends. 

Nino and Alya would come to the apartment at least once a week to check in on him, talking to him whether he contributed to the conversation or not. Tom and Sabine came multiple times a week always bringing food and his favourite pastries, refusing to leave until they made sure he was well fed. The Dupain-Chengs were eager to fill the void in his heart where his parents once were, and Adrien was incredibly grateful to have them. 

Slowly yet surely and with the help of therapy, Adrien’s life got back on track. Unsurprisingly, there were a million fires to put out once he rejoined society. The Agreste brand completely tanked, leaving thousands of employees in the dust and the company having to declare bankruptcy. Chloe was right there with him, helping him with everything with her brand-new master’s degree in business. 

Where the Agreste brand went down in flames, MDC rose from the ashes. 

Marinette started her brand from their apartment, working on her designs and pieces in the spare bedroom-turned-office. They quickly caught the eye of Audrey Bourgeois who never stopped watching the young designer and the rest was history. MDC quickly outgrew the small spare bedroom and Adrien had the idea of giving her the Agreste mansion to start her company in. 

Despite Marinette’s hesitations, Adrien was eager to model for her; he knew full well that he didn’t have to, but he was so unbelievably proud to be wearing her clothes. Really, she was doing a favour for him. 

Once Marinette got her hands on it, the once cold halls of his childhood home were no longer empty. After decorating it to her tastes, they inspired and nurtured creativity and expression, dozens of apprentice designers and seamstresses using the vacant bedrooms as workspaces. 

Gabriel’s office became a communal workspace for all the designers, the former lair underneath filled in with dirt and cement. Adrien’s old bedroom became Marinette’s personal office where she liked to work on designs in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows. 

The Agreste mansion couldn’t have been put to better use. 

As for Ladybug and Chat Noir, they never left. Although the daily threat of akumas was no longer, the two superheroes were occasionally spotted jumping from roof to roof on patrol, helping the authorities with normal, magic-free crimes. It was a nice hobby to have. 

“Ladybug! Chat Noir!” The pair looked down from the roof they were on to find a frantic lady trying to get their attention. “I’m so sorry to bother you, but someone’s broken into my house… Do you think you could check it out for me? I don’t feel safe going back…”

“Of course,” Ladybug smiled, jumping down to greet her. “Just stay here and we’ll come back for you.”

“Don’t worry, ma’am! Ladybug and Chat Noir are on the case.” Giving the lady a wink, the two swung and vaulted off to investigate. “Ah, nice to be helping the civilians of Paris again, isn’t it Milady?”

“It is nice to be back in the suits, isn’t it?” she grinned, coming to a stop in front of the woman’s house. “Ready?” With her yoyo in hand and a nod from Chat, Ladybug kicked in the door. 

“What was that for? You know you could’ve just tried the handle, right?”

She shrugged it off, advancing into the house on high alert in case the burglars were still there. She only dropped her arm when she realized the house was empty. “Either we’re dealing with some grade-A burglars, or this is just a false alarm.” Nonetheless, Ladybug moved deeper into the house towards the living room in the back only to realize it wasn’t completely empty. 

Their cat, Katy Purry, was happily lounging in the sun coming through a window, meowing in greeting as she spotted her. “What…? Chat why is our cat-“

When she turned around, he was waiting for her on one knee with a ring box in his hand

 _No… There’s no way._ She stood there in shock, trying to process what was happening as she tried to find her voice. “Adrien…?”

“Milady,” he grinned, taking one of her hands in his. “Princess, My Marinette… I’ve loved you ever since we were thirteen… Your determination, your bravery and your fighting spirit inspire me each and every day… Especially now.” He chuckled nervously, showing for the first time just how anxious he was. “I want everything with you. I want to wake up next to you every morning and call you my wife, I want to start a family with you, I want to grow old with you… Everything. I want to build a life with you… Right here in this very house.”

“You… you got us this house?” Realization spread across her face followed by a mortified gasp. “I-I kicked our door down!” 

“Yeah, I wasn’t really counting on that,” he laughed, squeezing her hand. “But it’s okay. Because I know it’s not always going to be smooth sailing… And I don’t mind, as long as I have you by my side. It’s me and you against the world, Milady.” If she wasn’t crying before, she definitely was when he opened the small box to reveal the beautiful diamond ring she’s ever seen.

_This is really happening._

“Marinette Dupain-Cheng… Will you do me the honour of becoming the luckiest cat alive and marry me?”

Unable to speak, he got down on her knees in front of him, pulling him into a deep kiss. Her tears of joy melded with his as their transformations dropped. She kissed him like it was the first kiss of the rest of their lives… _Because_ it was the first kiss of the rest of their lives. 

_This_ was the victory they fought so hard for, the victory they dreamed of and deserved. 

When Marinette eventually pulled away, she all but breathed the one word that would start their happily ever after.

“Yes.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahhhh it’s over! It’s been such a crazy month but I’m so happy and proud with this fic. Thank you to everyone who took the time to read it; it really means a lot! I’ll be taking a bit of a break, but I will be doing a few prompts for Au Yeah August. See you then and thanks again!


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